Image: KING 5 (source)
A Lakewood jewelry store got hit hard on Wednesday afternoon, and the way it happened should make every jeweler who relies on a door buzzer stop and think. Police in Lakewood, Washington, are looking for four masked suspects who robbed Crown Jewelry on Steilacoom Boulevard around 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 28, KING 5 reported. One of them carried a rifle, and the others used axes to break open display cases. No one was hurt, and as of the latest reports, nobody was in custody.
According to the Lakewood Police Department, one suspect rang the doorbell and was let in. What looked like three more people came in right behind. The store’s front door locks automatically, which ended up trapping the crew inside, so they used their weapons to smash their way back out before leaving in a car. Neighbors in the shared plaza, which includes a bowling alley, reported hearing shots. Police said the sound was actually the glass being broken. KOMO News reported that all four wore hoodies and masks, and police didn’t have a description of the car.
Video: Watch KING 5’s report from Crown Jewelry
When KING 5’s crew arrived, the window next to the door was boarded up and the two display cases closest to the entrance were destroyed. The owner wouldn’t comment while police investigate, and there’s no estimate yet of how much jewelry was taken.
Here’s my take for retailers. A buzzer is only as good as the decision made before someone hits the release. In this case, one person got through, and three others followed before the door closed. That’s a classic tailgate, and it’s hard to stop once it starts. If your staff controls the door, give them simple rules they can follow without feeling rude: nobody comes in with a covered face, and if you see a group gathering outside, the door stays shut, and someone calls the police. Cameras pointed at the entry, and the approach can help the person at the button see what’s coming.
The locked door is the other lesson. Keeping robbers inside sounds like a win, but it also means your team is stuck in a small room with armed, panicked people. Talk through what employees should do if that happens, where they should go, and how they can trigger an alarm without being seen. And since the cases nearest the door took the hits, it’s worth thinking about what you keep up front and how quickly that glass gives way.
Key Takeaways
- Four masked suspects with a rifle and axes robbed Crown Jewelry in Lakewood, Wash., on Oct. 28 after one was buzzed in.
- The store’s self-locking door kept them inside until they smashed their way out; no one was hurt, and no arrests have been made.
- Jewelers using buzzer doors should screen for covered faces and tailgaters and plan for what happens if a crew gets in.
Source: KING 5: Lakewood police search for broad daylight jewelry thieves armed with guns, axes
