Commentary Across the country, we’re witnessing a shocking, brazen crime pattern called smash and grab. Heavily masked and hooded gangs, deploying crowbars and hammers, and armed with neutralizing chemical spray, smash through store windows and doors frantically grabbing as much high-end merchandise as they can carry out. With swarming teams as large as 80, these flash mob thefts of Gucci bags, Apple iPhones, and high-priced jewelry can cumulatively exceed $100,000 each. The thieves in turn fence the stolen loot through the Internet. Store security, mall cops, and frightened customers are so dumbfounded by the audacious nature of the heist, they’re often paralyzed to respond. Overwhelmed by crime spikes in multiple areas, law enforcement plays whack-a-mole against the evolving threat. It’s an upside-down world in which criminals have free rein, crime-enabling political leaders look the other way, state legislatures in the most affected states minimize the organized “shoplifting” as a low-priority …