Police search for suspects after smash-and-grab at Fairview Mall jewelry store

Toronto police are seeking six suspects after a jewelry store in a shopping mall was robbed by people with hammers on Monday afternoon.

Video obtained by CBC Toronto shows six people in dark clothes and masks fleeing a jewelry store inside Fairview Mall as security guards are seen filming. The last person slips on shattered glass before making off.

One witness, who CBC Toronto is not naming due to their safety concerns, said they heard loud bangs before realizing a robbery was underway.

"We didn't know what it was. Originally, he thought it was like gunshots or something like that, something crazy," the witness said. "We saw the glass on the floor and heard screaming and the guys were in there and we knew instantly what was happening."

One person, who looked like a customer or a worker, walked out of the store a few moments later, the witness said.

The video shows two security guards standing by as the suspects ran off.

"At the time, everyone was looking at them, like what are they doing? I'm not going to lie, that was going through my mind as well, initially. It was crazy to me that they were just kind of standing there, recording. But then, the more I thought about, you know, there is only so much they could do," the witness said.

In a news release on Monday, police said officers were called to the mall at 1:20 p.m. All of the thieves used hammers to break the glass and all were wearing masks and gloves, police said.

"The suspects broke open the jewelry display cabinets and took a large quantity of jewelry from the display," police said in the release. They then left the mall and got into a waiting vehicle. 

That vehicle collided with another vehicle in the parking lot, said police. The suspects then got out and fled in another getaway vehicle, which was later found with the help of York Regional Police.

A driver of one of the vehicles in the crash remained at the scene, police said. 

'Significant' rise in robberies concerns police

Toronto has seen "significant" rise in jewelry store robberies, a police spokesperson told CBC Toronto in an email Monday.

As of last week, 43 jewelry store robberies had been reported so far this year, compared to 21 during the same time period last year. That's more than a 100 per cent increase, police said.

WATCH | GTA experiencing spike in jewelry store robberies: 

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.

Toronto police said they're working closely with other police services across the Greater Toronto Area, as well as with Crime Stoppers, jewelry store owners, property management companies and security companies to combat the thefts.

They're also encouraging retailers to adopt security measures that would make them less attractive to thieves, including:

• Implementing a locked-door policy to control access to the premises.
• Using display cases with high-security locks and tempered glass.
• Avoiding the display of real jewelry when possible, especially in unattended areas.
• Ensuring security cameras are installed and functioning properly, with clear visibility of entry points and high-value areas.
• Conducting regular staff training on how to respond during a robbery and recognizing suspicious behaviour.
• Establishing clear communication protocols with local police and neighbouring businesses.

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, the company whose store was robbed during Monday's incident, said in a statement to CBC Toronto that it is committed to enhancing store security measures and security systems. The company said it will continue to provide crisis management training to staff, "ensuring that both employees and customers can work and shop in a safe environment."

Chow Tai Fook is still assessing the extent of the losses from Monday's robbery, the company said in the statement. No customers or staff were injured, it said.