Museum heists represent more than just crimes of opportunity; they also reflect cultural decline. While thieves in France executed a fourseven-minute daylight raid on royal jewels amid security guard layoffs and faulty alarms, Oakland's museum left its storage completely unguarded. As once great cities prioritize phantom threats over real security, the West will continue to fall victim to inept governance and brazen criminality. The system needs fixing, not just locks.

This heist — from an unguarded off-site storage facility with alarms silent — mirrors not only the recent Louvre smash-and-grab, but previous 2012 and 2013 break-ins at the Oakland museum. As experts point toward an inside job, especially given the inside knowledge required to target the nondescript warehouse, California museums must end opportunity crimes with 24/7 guards, vetting staff and contractors, and tech audits to protect donated heritage.

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