Education: Vandal Squad

The vandals who broke into the Malabar School on Los Angeles' overcrowded east side did a thoroughgoing job. They whirled through nine classrooms, the athletic rooms, the teachers' kitchen and dining room. They broke chairs and tables, splattered ink over the walls, smashed whatever clocks they happened to find. Last week the five boys responsible found out that crime doesn't pay. It had taken L.A.'s special school security section only a few hours to track them down.

In its six years, the security section has chalked up a record that any large city might envy. When former...