Thursday, November 12, 2009

Do Gated Communities Have Less Crime

By Pierre Levingston

Most people feel that living inside a gated community brings added protection and security. One the the biggest appeals of these guarded places is safety. But are these places actually safer than the average neighborhood?

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, the security guards that patrol the area normally only getting paid a little over minimum wage and most likely don't have the proper skills that professional security has. While having security guards patrolling the community does free up a police officer to patrol other neighborhoods, critics feel these security officers aren't reliable as far as safety is concerned. Most security guards with little training wouldn't put themselves in harms way if a felony were to be committed.

There has also been an issue with emergency vehicles getting inside gated communities to provide emergency assistance. With so many communities being built with gates, more security codes are being used making it hard on emergency personnel to gain entrance in a timely fashion. It also is harder for ambulances and Fire engines to gain entrance because of the usual narrow gate entrances.

Unmanned gates are growing in numbers as well. Many gated communities don't have guards on duty at all times of the day and night, meaning alarm codes for homeowners are given out so they can get inside. It's a good assumption that these homeowners will give out access codes to friends, family members and acquaintances that need entrance, and there is no guarantee that the pizza delivery boy won't give 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.

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