The Jewelers’ Security Alliance recently released statistics for the period Jan. 1-July 1, 2002, showing that total dollar crime losses for the jewelry industry decreased by 11.7% compared with that period in 2001. Off-premises losses for that period dropped even more dramatically, falling by 26.6% compared with 2001.

JSA president John Kennedy said, “More law enforcement personnel are successfully pursuing jewelry criminals, and more jewelers are following careful security practices.” Kennedy called these two factors “a powerful combination,” and credited the improvement to JSA’s lobbying and educational efforts.

He reported 48 arrests in at least 17 different cells of South American theft and robbery gangs, with nine of those cells cracked in the past four months. Also, trunk-show losses showed a remarkable decline, from 24 in 1991 to no reported losses in the first six months of 2002.

For information, contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance, 6 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017; (800) 537-0067 or (212) 687-0328, e-mail: jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org, www.jewelerssecurity.org.