Police investigate incident inside Barrie’s Georgian Mall

The jewelry store, Michael Hill at the Georgian Mall, was robbed in a smash and grab on Tuesday and police are searching for suspects.

There is a large police presence at Georgian Mall Tuesday evening.

CTV News reached out to Barrie Police, but they have not confirmed the nature of the incident.

However, people inside the mall at the time tell CTV News there was a smash-and-grab at the Michael Hill jewelry store at about 6 p.m. Suspects breaking display cases with weapons in hand.

• Violent jewelry store robbery ends in high speed chase, police say

Jewelry stores inside the mall have been targeted at least four times in the past two years by armed thieves who stormed in and broke display cases and fled with bags of valuables within seconds.

Dia Amore Jewellers was targeted twice in twelve months in August 2024 and 2025 when thieves carrying hammers robbed the store and made off with jewelry. Five masked young men were arrested by police following the second smash-and-grab after investigators said their stolen getaway car crashed in a construction area along Innisfil Beach Road.

• Toronto teen sentenced to time served for masked Barrie jewelry store robbery

One of the accused pleaded guilty to armed robbery and was sentenced to time served in February. Police said one of the accused was arrested with a gun on him. Three of the accused were youths. Their identities are protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

• Five arrested after Georgian Mall heist involving pepper spray and hammer

Months later, days before Christmas, Charm Diamond Centres was victimized by young thieves police said were armed with pepper spray and hammers. Five youths, as young as 14, were arrested, with help from provincial police, in Essa Township. Two of the accused were denied bail. The allegations against them have not been tested in court.