Communities with Gates: Less Crime or Not?
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010A lot of people believe that living inside a gated community brings added benefits of protection and security. These communities are meant to keep crime out, but do gated communities actually have less crime like they want us to believe? Is it actually safer for them to live there?
Gated communities project security because they provide their own patrol guards, security codes and gates to keep those who do not have access outside. All of these things sound great, but is there actually that much of a difference in crime rate from gated communities and those outside. The answer is yes, but surprisingly gated communities only have a marginal lower crime rate.
Most data indicates that there is only a slight difference in the long term crime rate between gated communities and other neighborhoods. Most gated communities crime rate may be very low for the first year, but then it rises to just slight less than the rest of the outside communities. Many burglars are deterred from gated communities because there isn’t an easy exit point, but it seems that after only a few short years that does not seem to stop them from going inside.
Most critics of gated communities feel that residents living inside these establishments have a false sense of security. As pointed out before, the main appeal to many homeowners is that of safety. Critics feel that gated communities are not as safe as they advertise.
For example, gated communities have security guards that patrol the area. While this helps police officers from having to patrol the area, many feel the security guards don’t have the skills or means to safely protect the homeowners if a burglar or criminal were to get inside the gates. Most security guards are only getting paid $10 an hour and most likely don’t have the proper skills or desire to put themselves in harms way if a felony were to be committed.
There also is an issue of emergency vehicles gaining admittance inside gated communities. When emergency personnel are called for aid it is hard for them to gain entrance inside in a timely fashion, especially with the amount of unmanned gates that have codes. Gated communities also tend to have narrow gate entrances which makes it hard for ambulances and fire engines to fit inside. This causes problems for individuals who need emergency assistance.
Lastly, a lot of people feel secure in the fact that you have to have an access code to be given entrance inside. But many unmanned gates have codes that have been given out to countless individuals who not live inside the gates. There is really no way of guaranteeing that the pizza delivery boy hasn’t given the code out to anyone else.
Critics may feel that communities with gates aren’t as safe as they profess to be, but they do continue to be more and more popular. With each coming year they build new gated communities, even though they show to be just as effective as neighborhood watch programs. And neighborhood watch programs have the added perk that they are free.
For more information about Home Security Systems contact Platinum Protection on their website at PlatinumProtect.com. Platinum Protection is one of the fastest growing Home Security companies. With customer service being a top priority, Platinum Protection offers top of the line Home Security Systems that will fit almost any application. Platinum Protection offers helpful Home Security Information and Tips on the Platinum Protection Blog. Click here to visit our Blog.
categories: Security, Home Security, Security Systems, Camera Security, Security Services, Security Camera Alarm System Security Alarm Home Security Systems, Security Company, Home Invasion, Burglar, Alarm

