JVC’s Crime Prevention Program: What lies ahead for 2023
Looking Ahead
Jewellers Vigilance Canada (JVC) has launched the new and improved JVC website to make the information and resources provided in the Crime Prevention Program (CPP) easier to access while updating the content. We also have added a blog that we will use to expose’ all things jewellery crime. Look for a focus on threats, crime prevention methods, and related technologies and another spotlight on health and wellness and resources available to jewellers.
For 2023 we have also updated the format and delivery of the Crime Alert Bulletins. They are in the form of information bursts, more succinct, and more information packed into each alert bulletin.
Focus on Health and Wellness
One of the lingering effects of increasing crime, particularly violent crime, is stress and anxiety.
The collective weight of press releases, social media content, and the actual increase in the number of violent crime events facing the jewellery industry has an on-going and negative impact on personal health of those working in the jewellery industry. Add in market uncertainty, sales pressures, increasing business cost to these compounds. Knowing what resources are available is among the first steps to managing this, and we are illuminating some resources through out learning shorts.
We will be talking to a Victim Service Unit to talk about what they do and how they assist victims of crime and their role in crime prevention and post event assistance.
We’ll be talking with a grief and loss health coach to see how grief and loss enters our lives and how industry events can cause us grief and loss even when we haven’t been directly affected and how we can help ourselves and our staff.
Focus on Safety and Security
The threat to jewellers has changed. The tactics of criminals have evolved, they have sophisticated techniques, and new and specialized tools to use against jewellers. As always there is an ebb and flow of criminal activity, but tactics are different, and this will continue through the ebb and flow. We will be interviewing a suite of security experts to talk about a host of in-store security measures.
Our first will be discussing the most recent evolutions in- store security devices that can protect your business.
We will also be talking with an innovative company that is working to help police solve crimes involving lost and stolen jewellery and the international successes that have been having.
Four JVC Learning Shorts are lined up for early 2023. You will be able to view these on jewellerycrimecanada.ca.
Police Victim Services Units – how they assist after an event
Stress and Loss Specialist – how to identify and manage stress in the
work environment and assistance for staff.
Security Company – will discuss innovative crime mitigation technology.
Security Company – will discuss their global effort to reduce jewellery
loss.
What does the future hold for the Canadian Diamond Market?
According to the most recent data from Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN), Canada was the world's third largest producer of rough diamonds by value (12.5% of world production), and the third largest producer by volume (13.5% of world production) in 2019 - producing 18.6 million carats of rough diamonds valued at $2.21 billion.
Ekati, Diavik, Gahcho Kué (all NWT) and Renard (QC) are Canada’s last four producing diamond mines with no exploration projects even close to production.
Arctic Canadian Diamond Company, the owners of Ekati and the CanadaMark™ hallmark program, yielded 4.5 million carats in 2021 and expected to ramp up to 5 million carats in 2022 with a planned mine life running to 2028.
Rio Tinto plans to produce 3 to 3.8 million carats of rough from Diavik in 2023. Well below last year’s total, this reflects the deposit’s end of life in 2025.
De Beers Group and Mountain Province’s Gahcho Kué mine averages around 4.5 million carats annually and has an anticipated 12 year mine life, ending in 2028
Stornoway’s Renard mine expects to produce 1.6 million carats per year over its 14 year mine life, anticipated to end in 2031
That’s an annual production of around 15 million carats, and as end of life approaches, that number will drop considerably.
It’s been a long run since Ekati’s first production reached the market in 1998.
Conceivably, by 2031 there will be no Canadian diamond mines left.
That’s less than ten years. Think about the following questions:
How do you feel about the loss of the jewel in Canada’s crown?
What will happen to all of the people that work in the Canadian diamond industry both directly and indirectly?
Do consumers really care if their diamond is Canadian or from an unknown origin?
How will it affect retail and wholesale businesses?
How will it affect brands that have built their livelihood on Canadian diamonds?
What about lab grown diamonds?
How will you pivot?
I’d love to engage in conversation with you and hear your thoughts.
Angela Betteridge
Chair of the Board of Directors, CJA