It’s been five months already, but Christian van Zijp still remembers how his store in the center of Zaandam was destroyed in broad daylight. The young perpetrators did not get far thanks to bystanders and Christian’s dog, but the material and emotional damage was extensive. “The misery it causes is simply enormous,” says Van Zijp.
A new app from the Gold and Silver Federation should arm jewelers against a worrying increase in robberies. This became apparent during an industry meeting, where Mayor Hamming of Zaanstad also spoke in his role as chairman of the Robbery Task Force.
The idea behind the app is simple but effective: jewelers can describe in the app how robbers operate. They can also share observations so that colleagues can warn each other more quickly.
More and more robberies
The number of robberies at jewelers had been declining for years, but last year there was a sharp turnaround: “This year we are seeing an increase in the number of robberies for the first time. That worries us enormously,” said Hamming. According to him, it is striking that many perpetrators are teenagers, who sometimes strike armed.
The tool is exclusively intended to distribute information about working methods within the framework of privacy legislation. Jewelers are therefore not allowed to share images. “In terms of privacy, we must of course comply with the legislation,” says Hamming.
Still, Van Zijp thinks the app will help. “I just have to learn faster than the criminals.”