Security for Jewelers
There are three aspects to security of a jewelry business:
You can rely on Robert G. Carroll and Associates for expert help in all three areas.
Physical Security - the premises, safe or vault, etc.
Burglary Safes: are rated by equipment permitted and by the time constraints under which technicians of Underwriters Laboratiries tested the design prototype. The UL labeling system describes the test as follows:
TL: "Tools," i.e., common hand tools such as hammers, chisels, and crowbars.
TR: "Torch," an oxyacetylene welder's torch.
15,30: The time in minutes of the laboratory attack, measured in pure attack time.
X6: means the entire safe (six sides) was subjected to the UL test attack. If "X6" is not stated on the label, then only the door and framing around the door were tested.
Examples of UL Burglary Safe labels:
TL-15 TL-30 TRTL-15 TRTL-30 TRTL 15X6 TRTL 30X6
Vaults are rated by Underwriters Laboratories in a matter that denotes relative protection time. The ratings are: Class M 15 (minutes), Class 1 (30 minutes), Class 2 (1 hour), and Class 3 (2 hours).
Fire Safes are rated by the period of time it may be expected to keep its contents below 350 Farenheit, the flash-point of paper. Many fire safes may be defeated in a few minutes, or even seconds by a burglar with only basic knowledge of safes, and are thus not considered suitable for high limits of valuable property such as jewelry.
The UL ratings are: Class C (1 hour), Class B (2 hours), and Class A (4 hours).
RSC safes (":Residential Security Container") This is a UL-rating commonly applied to gun safes and wall safes which denotes a limited amount of burglary protection As compared to the burglary safe ratings described above, an RSC safe would be "TL-5" (i.e., hand tools only, 5 minute test).
Electronic Security - the alarm system
Procedural Security - training and experience.
CrimeFax - Program to alert to crime activity.
CrimeFax is the exclusive loss prevention network of Robert G. Carroll and Associates. The result of many years of development, CrimeFax is a way that jewelers can rapidly share information about crime. To report an incident, call 1 (800) 655-2728. Within minutes, an alert can be faxed simultaneously to hundreds of jewelry businesses in the Southwest region. It is a system that jewelers claim has prevented many losses - and that some jewelry thieves blame for their incarceration!
How much does it cost to join CrimeFax? It's free to qualified members of the jewelry industry.
How do I join CrimeFax? Call RGC&A for an application. You must have a fax machine that is left on, or and e-mail address. (Our studies indicate that most jewelers will see and read an incoming fax sooner than they will see an e-mail message.)
We recommend that jewelers keep CrimeFaxes in a file or binder that will enable them to quickly refer to them in an emergency. Suspect descriptions, photos, and composite drawings - and especially warrant details, can be become critical information in the future, and can be an important aid to law enforcement.
Recent CrimeFaxes can also be retrieved on this Website by clicking on any of the links below:
CFX 125 - from Oct. 21, 2004
CFX 121 - from Sept. 23, 2004
