Toronto·Video

As jewelry store robberies rise across the GTA, jewelers share their stories

The Greater Toronto Area has seen a rise in jewelry store robberies this year, leaving many jewelers fearing for their safety while on the job.

Toronto police say there have been 43 robberies targeting jewellery stores in 2024 so far

Why the GTA is seeing a spike in jewelry store robberies

9 days ago
Duration 2:53
Toronto police say jewelry store robberies have doubled this year compared to last year, with many of the brazen incidents caught on camera. CBC’s Naama Weingarten explores what’s behind the trend.

The Greater Toronto Area is seeing a rise in jewelry store robberies this year, leaving many jewelers fearing for their safety while on the job.

Figures from local police forces show that numbers have doubled, and even tripled, in some regions. 

In Toronto, there have been 43 robberies targeting jewelry stores in 2024 year-to-date, up from 21 during the same time period in 2023. 

Meanwhile, Peel Region has seen 37 robberies year-to-date, up from 10 recorded over the same period in 2023, while York Region has had 13 robberies so far, compared to seven over the same period of time in 2023. 

Security footage from a string of recent robberies shows just how violent some of the thefts are.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Naama Weingarten is a reporter with CBC News based in Toronto. You can reach her at naama.weingarten@cbc.ca or follow her on X @NaamaWeingarten.

With files from Shannon Martin