[Slim10]

Originally Posted by olecapt

Comeon you don't believe that. It is like the unbelievable story where a resident lent a burglar a transponder. We all know that could never happen.

As a practical matter the lowest crime neighborhoods in Las Vegas are not gated. And much of the low crime area has few gated places.

It does slow traffic and limit casual drive throughs. Then again so do cul de sacs.

And always remember the odds strongly favor you getting hit over the head on the arterial outside your neighborhood. Crime in virtually all neighborhoods is much smaller than on the surrounding streets.

It happens (google it). Just not frequently, and I'm guessing most occurrences probably don't hit headlines.

Agree on the lowest crime bit but also lowest crime neighborhoods are generally furthest from city centre. Low crime doesn't mean no crime though....

Anyway, its just a personal preference from a homeowner's perspective.

[Kaiminani]

Some fair use excerpts from Prevention of Crime: An Overview of Gated Communities and Neighborhood Watch - IFPO

The city of Miami reports that "some forms of crime such as car theft are reduced, at least immediately after the streets are closed. However, data indicates that the long-term crime rate is at best only marginally altered" (Blakely, 1995, p. 1).
...
"According to preliminary research, crimes such as burglary drop in the first year or so of gating, but then rise back to the level of the areas outside"(Diamond 4).
...
Many individuals wonder how far a security guard, who receives $9 an hour, will go to enforce internal laws on the private property. The security is only as good as the people who provide it.
...
"In East Lake Florida, rescue workers must rummage through a briefcase containing as many as 50 separate gate-opening devices for unmanned entries"(Diamond, 1997, p. 5). Many rescue workers also complain of time lost in maneuvering over-sized emergency vehicles into narrow gates.

[olecapt]

Actually I think the key thing with respect to burglary is the density of teen agers. That is why a Sun City will outpoint even a Spanish Trails. (And Spanish Trails has some wall sections almost made for surreptitious entry)