Smash-and-grab robbery rates skyrocket across Toronto region. Here’s by how much

A rash of brazen jewelry store robberies have popped up across southern Ontario this year including one in Toronto and another in Cambridge in Monday.

As is the case with many of these robberies, each involved a number of individuals entering jewelry stores inside of larger shopping centres. The suspects were armed with hammers, which they used to smash display cases before running away.

In Peel Region, police say they have seen 37 robberies at jewelry stores so far this year, which is more than triple the number in 2023 when there were 10 and in 2022 when 13 occurred.

“These are not just property crimes; these crimes are used to fund other forms of criminal activity and the violence associated with them deeply impacts the public’s feelings of safety and security,” Peel Const. Richard Chinn said in an email.

It is a similar story in Toronto as there has been a 105 per cent increase in the number of smash-and-grab robberies in 2024 compared to the entirety of 2023.

“We can tell you that TPS is concerned about the significant rise in jewelry store robberies across the city,” Const. Cindy Chung told Global News in an emailed statement on Monday.

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“As of last week, 43 jewelry store robberies had been reported in 2024, compared to 21 during the same period last year.“

There were two at shopping centres in York Region over the first week of December, according to Const. James Dickson, a York Regional Police spokesperson.

“It’s been quite concerning this year. We’ve seen a significant increase in the brazen daytime jewelry store robberies,” he said.

“In 2023, we saw seven of these across the region. And this year we’re already up to 13.”

He said the robberies share a similar playbook as the others.

“We’re seeing groups usually of about three to 10 people that are entering the stores with hammers,” Dickson explained. “They’re smashing glass display cases and they’re stealing items. It’s not something that’s unique to York region, nor is it something that’s unique across the holiday season.”

The officer said police are treating each event as individual incidents but they are not ignoring the fact that they could be linked.

““The fact that these have been popping up in a short period of time is something that we’re very much (aware of),” he said. “And we are sharing evidence with our partner agencies that are experiencing similar trends.”

He is warning bystanders not to intervene if they see these types of robberies while they are out shopping.

“Obviously, the number one thing is to prioritize your own personal safety,” Dickson offered. “There are thieves that are targeting specific items that are there. They’re not coming after the shoppers themselves.”

The daytime robberies at Markville Shopping Centre in Markham on Dec. 4 and Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill on Dec. 2 were both caught on camera and quickly posted to social media. Dickson said police are happy to see the footage.

“We would never want anyone to intervene and we would never want to put anyone in a position where they’re not safe,” he explained.

“That being said, nowadays with everyone having a cell phone, the fact that everyone’s being their own journalist is very helpful for investigators.”

He went on to say that investigators have been able to collect a lot of extra information about the robberies that they would not have been able to in the past from just using security footage.

“We do want to make sure that the public understands our level of appreciation that these have been provided to us, and the witnesses have been coming forward and speaking with our investigators,” he said.

&© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.