How the Louvre thieves walked off with Napoleon’s jewels— and what’s next for the gems
High gold prices play a significant role in the rash of jewelry thefts, but a combination of factors have left museums vulnerable.
“There’s an epidemic going on right now in the museum community in Europe and a lot of it is because there’s not enough funding for security,” said Mr. Marinello. “Europe spent money to recover from COVID, then to deal with the immigration crisis, and to fund the war in Ukraine — there’s just not enough money to go around.”
The same economic pressures led to budget cuts in law enforcement. That, plus rising crime across western Europe, has left police overtaxed and prisons overcrowded. These factors, Marinello feels, encourages criminals to aim higher.
“I’ve had law enforcement officers tell me, ‘We’re just too busy to investigate this case’ or ‘We’re being told to cut back on prosecutions because there’s no jail space.’ Thieves take advantage of that, and start to think, ‘Gee, maybe crime could pay,’” he said.
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