Smash-and-grabs, California, and the limits of criminal justice reform

Walk down Rodeo Drive with Todd Johnson, and he’ll point out security measures that are helping one of the world’s luxury centers prevent “smash-and-grab” thefts assailing shopping districts from New York to San Francisco.

Stepping close to the Gucci storefront window, he taps his knuckle against the thick glass. “Bulletproof,” says the president of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce. It explains why burglars who took a sledgehammer to nearby Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue last month were not able to bash their way into the stores before police arrived. Strolling further along the holiday-festooned boulevard, Mr. Johnson points to a tiny camera atop a traffic light. The city has upwards of 2,000 cameras – more per square foot than any city in the world, he says. “You can’t get in or out of our city without being seen.”

Then there are the things not visible to the eye: a police response time of under three minutes, and more