Waterloo Regional Police discuss the difficulties in catching jewelry store robbery suspects

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WATCH: Thieves smash jewelry store display cases at Fairview Park Mall

WATCH: Suspects flee after attempted robbery at Conestoga Mall

Waterloo Regional Police are addressing the challenges they face in tackling the growing problem of jewelry store robberies.

Nine locations in the region were targeted by thieves in 2024.

“These are happening within seconds and minutes,” said Waterloo Regional Police Chief Mark Crowell.

It’s also easy for the suspects to get away.

“To flee strategically from some of those locations is simple because you can go any number of directions, through [Highway] 401 or the adjoining highway systems,” Crowell explained.

Tracking them down is also difficult.

“The majority of ones that we have seen recently, the offenders have not been local,” said Deputy Chief Jen Davis.

They also use stolen vehicles, which are later found abandoned.

Police are also worried that teens and young adults are being manipulated and enticed into organized crime.

“The perception is they won’t be facing harsh penalties in the criminal justice system,” Crowell said. “Oftentimes, young people are looking for belonging, a sense of interaction. And there are also lucrative financial opportunities.”

While no serious injuries have been reported in any of the robberies, there is a concern about the way they are being carried out.

“Their sense of care for others seems to be almost non-existent,” Crowell said.

• MORE: Waterloo Regional Police share 2024 crime statistics

In an effort to combat the problem, Waterloo Regional Police said they’re putting their Youth Engagement Strategy into overdrive for 2025.

New evidence

Police also released new security videos from two jewelry store robberies on Monday.

The first was taken on May 18 at Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener.

In it, four masked suspects enter the store armed with hammers and a gun. They then smash the glass display cases, grab the jewelry inside and stuff them into duffle bags.

The second video showed suspects fleeing from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo and getting into a waiting vehicle in the parking lot.

Police said six people tried to rob an unnamed jewelry store at the mall on Feb. 1, and a second attempt was made on Feb. 3.

On Monday, police announced that they had charged a 15-year-old from Toronto, a 16-year-old from Kitchener, a 17-year-old from Nova Scotia and a 27-year-old from Richmond Hill with two counts of attempted robbery, two counts of disguise with intent and conspiracy to commit an indictable offense.

The four were arrested after another jewelry store was robbed at the Stratford Mall on Feb. 5.