Reported Smash & Grab at Long Beach show

mellado

I just heard from a friend/ bourse dealer at Long Beach show there was a Smash & Grab of gold at the front of the bourse room during the show. Anyone have more details ? - as the show exits to the outside were distant from the front entrance & there was retired cop security at the show entrance.

CACfan

I always have a GIANT can of tear gas/pepper spray/UV dye. And a baseball bat. And a six inch folding knife.

Legend

Yep. I have a pic of the case. It was a major dealer who had an upfront table.

Apparently they went for the jewelry and watches in his case behind his table. He had coins -a lot of value in his front case.

I would never in a million years expected that to happen at LB. The have retired and active LB cops in the place. Thye have a cat walk. Thye have cameras.

This time, I was told some unsavory looking people in hoodies came in. Shocking-NOT. PCGs did market heavily locally. In LA you can pretty much steal and get away with it now.

Pyrite

One of the first shows I did was being run by a guy in the coin club who "cheaped out."
I saw the "security" carrying a 22 and asked the bourse chairman if he thought that was acceptable.
He thought it was. He also said there would only be ONE guard at night.
I left after the first day. And having got my own gun.

mellado

An idea ! ALL coin ( and jewelry shows) should have a front entrance sign - and ENFORCED - forbidding the actual WEARING of any hoodie. In fact, every liquor & misc goods store should have a front door policy of no hoodies. With masks & hoodies it is impossible to ID or successfully prosecute any criminal, absent forensics, which are very rarely present.

I still don’t see how the (at least) 2 retired LB cops at the front entrance couldn’t stop, trip, whatever these fleeing punks - given the sound of smashed glass and running suspects. These cops were not 300 lbs , 70 yr+ , out -of -shape guys.
I saw them.

It says something that these hooded
criminals have such chutzpah that they did this in the presence of obvious security. Attribute this to the “ woke” LA DA Gascón who is currently up for recall.

JohnTCoin

@mellado I couldn't agree more!

pcgscacgold

Seems some here have commented without knowledge of the event. They did not smash and grab during the show hours. A dealer that spoke with Security mentioned the damage happened over night prior to the opening of the show the next day. They are reviewing video of the night to see who had access and how the glass was broken without onsite guards hearing it. It was not some hooded punk running around stealing coins. Hopefully a full report is made available at some point.

Winesteven

There were TWO separate incidents. The big one happened overnight, where they smashed and grabbed gold watches and jewelry from a dealers locked case near the back of the bourse. Separately, someone grabbed some stuff from a dealer during the day near the entrance, and he got caught by security.

mellado

Thanks for the update & clarification. Most assuredly these incidents will happen again. How these overnight closed bourse thieves did it ? It is easy to conceal yourself in the bourse room after closing, either in restroom booths or, more likely, at the extreme rear of the hall behind the curtains...or have access thru the doors at that extreme end, concealed by curtains. Or w access to rear door locks via city-hired conv ctr janitors.
As to why bourse case glass smashing wasn’t heard - use of a ballpean hammer
and a thick towel will significantly muffle
the sound of glass smashing & only 1 swift blow will do it.

They’ll be back as they were successful the 1st time. I wonder if closed bourse roaming police dogs wouldn’t do the trick?

WilliamJ

I haven't really heard if they caught the guy that burglarized the bourse? Has anyone heard anything more about it?
   Hope security is better in Baltimore.

Phil619

Richard Stark in his Parker novel series wrote about a coin show robbery / heist where Parker a professional thief and his gang ripped off coins from a show.  It’s called The Rare Coin Score (1960’s) I think I still have it, may reread.  

Leaving coins overnite at a show I am always relieved to see them there the next day.  I chain and lock the locked display cases to the table before leaving for the night.  Of course that would not prevent someone smashing the glass.  During show hours I don’t leave cases unlocked if leaving table.    I don’t allow any one open and reach in my cases when present nor have material outside my cases.  It’s my material and I control how I show it.  One lowballer rip off guy got mad onetime trying reach in and grab stuff.  Slamming case lid down before he could reach in I told him shove it and don’t come back.  He even had gall to complain to the bourse chairman.  When she came around saying he was a good customer, big spender I set her straight telling  her “he is low baller trash and I am one who controls how I show my inventory.”  What gall or stupidity on her part.

Over nite shows have only armed  security in locked bourse room.  This very disturbing if theft happened during that time.  Somebody burglarized the bourse at nite aka Parker?