[LV10101]

Originally Posted by tijlover

When I was scouting around to buy a 2nd home in the Rosarito/Tijuana area, I looked at some guard-gated communities (Baja Malibu/San Antonio Del Mar) and then I got on a Baja forum, and someone asked about the safety in these communities, and, subsequently, it gave me 2nd thoughts.

Yes, it's happened, guards at the gates working with burglars, tipping them off as to when so-and-so will be away for a week, month, or months, and enjoying some kickbacks!

Of course, this is the U.S. of A, and that would never, ever, ever happen up here!

Perhaps? Perhaps? In the above-mentioned golf course community, it could have been a guard that helped to perpetrate the crime?

Oh, no, no, no! That just wouldn't happen up here!

So because there is a slight possibility of a "guard" working with burglars doing some inside job breaking into house in a gated community you have decided against gated communities? Yes because the happens so often...lol. Really I think some of you need to come back down to Earth. You overlook crime statistics but have these far fetched ideas of guards doing inside jobs...lol...really?

No one is saying you have to live in a gated community, so please if you don't want to then don't. But don't attempt to make it sound like it is more dangerous to live in a gated community because the crime stats don't back you up.

[vtvette]

Originally Posted by LV10101

the crime stats don't back you up.

For the love of god I would LOVE to see the stats where gated communities are statistically safer than non-gated communities because every study conducted (sources referenced earlier in this thread) as well as a simple call to a Metro desk officer say otherwise.

I don't care that you want to believe that gates provide protection and I don't care where you live.

There are people looking to move to Vegas who read this forum looking for advice and guidance who may not be familiar with gated communities and could well get a false sense of security based on inaccurate information and conjecture.

[LV10101]

vtvette...again I made the statement that a gate community is a DETERRENT. The crime statistics are not mine, they are statistics from crime mapper.
Las Vegas Country Club Estates
Last week:
Crimes inside the gates: 2
Crimes within a block of the property (outside the gates): 24
Spanish Trail:
Last week:
Crimes inside the gates: 0
Crimes within a block of the property (outside the gates): 4
Canyon Gate Country Club:
Last week:
Crimes in the gates: 0
Crimes within a block of the property (outside the gates): 7

Yes not a scientific study but says a little about crime in the areas of these gated communities.

But you wanted more...
2013 Justice Quarterly confirms that homes in gated communities are subjected to fewer burglaries than those in non-gated communities. However, there is evidence that these communities only push crime to other, less secure, neighborhoods.

Lynn Addington, associate professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Society at American University, Washington, and Callie Marie Rennison, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado, Denver, conducted an extensive literature review and a detailed study of data from the US National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the US Census Bureau's American Housing Survey in the preparation of their paper, "Keeping the Barbarians outside the gate? Comparing burglary victimization in gated and non-gated communities."
The authors conclude that, in the United States: "… gated communities do lower the odds of experiencing a residential burglary even when controlling for housing unit factors such as tenure, income, and geographical location as well as individual characteristics such as age [and] race."
Acknowledging that worries about security and crime, as well as fear of crime, are consistently among the top reasons cited for living in a gated community, the authors are keen to emphasis that, statistically, burglary is a rare event.

Furthermore if gates/walls/fences are not a crime deterrent why do many businesses, school, airports, military compounds, etc use them? Please tell me.

[vtvette]

Originally Posted by LV10101

2013 Justice Quarterly confirms that homes in gated communities are subjected to fewer burglaries than those in non-gated communities. However, there is evidence that these communities only push crime to other, less secure, neighborhoods.

Lynn Addington, associate professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Society at American University, Washington, and Callie Marie Rennison, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado, Denver, conducted an extensive literature review and a detailed study of data from the US National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the US Census Bureau's American Housing Survey in the preparation of their paper, "Keeping the Barbarians outside the gate? Comparing burglary victimization in gated and non-gated communities."
The authors conclude that, in the United States: "… gated communities do lower the odds of experiencing a residential burglary even when controlling for housing unit factors such as tenure, income, and geographical location as well as individual characteristics such as age [and] race."
Acknowledging that worries about security and crime, as well as fear of crime, are consistently among the top reasons cited for living in a gated community, the authors are keen to emphasis that, statistically, burglary is a rare event.

Furthermore if gates/walls/fences are not a crime deterrent why do many businesses, school, airports, military compounds, etc use them? Please tell me.

Thank you for posting statistics to back your claims.

Here is an interesting article on the subject:

An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie - (IDK why is says this - the article is still there when you click it)

Excerpt:
Despite the widely-held belief that gated communities are safer than their non-gated counterparts, little is known about the veracity of this assumption. Explanations rooted in routine activity theory and situational crime prevention suggest that restricted entry would reduce crime. Alternative explanations hypothesize that the overuse of security may actually increase crime. The present study explores this issue by comparing burglary victimizations in gated and non-gated communities using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey. We find support for the hypothesis that housing units in gated communities experience less burglary than their non-gated counterparts. Our findings also emphasize the diversity of gated communities and their residents, which is in stark contrast to commonly held perceptions of these areas as affluent enclaves. Future research is needed to further explore this initial finding and assess the influence, if any, of gated communities on other types of crime such as intimate violence and vandalism.

I stand corrected. Contrary to all I have heard and read it seems gates may well indeed offer a deterrent to burglary.

I'm surprised that the Metro Officer I asked laughed and said "absolutely not" when asked if gates offer a deterrent to crime. I figured that was a pretty good litmus test.

It will be interesting to read more on the subject.

[LV10101]

I don't believe most Las Vegas Metro PD Officers would agree with him, actually I can say that in all honestly. Metro uses deterrents themselves...their newest deterrent is parking police cars on the Strip to make people believe there are police in the are when in actuality its just a police car. Deterrents work, are they perfect no but they are used with success in many places.

[Lkluxky]

Originally Posted by tijlover

I was thinking of that tonite, while walking my ferret. The unfairness of it! My ferret loves exploring new territory, and when we pass a gate to a community, I'll find him pulling me by the leash: New Territory Dad! Let's explore!

Let's say you live in a non-HOA, non-gated community in Las Vegas, and any number of the communities around you are gated. No Trespassing, Private Property! And? You go out for a long walk, and you wish to explore some new neighborhood, as you've gotten tired of just walking the same streets, day after day.

Those in the gated communities have every right to walk in your neighborhood, but you can't walk in theirs. Why? Perhaps they think those of us in non-gated communities are not to be trusted, we're on the dangerous side? Hey! Why not open those gates to your other neighbors, now and then, show some friendliness, and you'll find out we don't all have criminal records! Just a few of us!

In my neighborhood, we don't put up signs: If you live in an adjacent gated community, you're not allowed in our neighborhood. If your gated community is so idyllic, then stay there! We don't want you here! And if it comes to that, our Neighborhood Watch is going to start checking for ID's!

How about you? Do you see any unfairness to it?

Aww you and your ferret are welcome anytime in mine, that's adorable! I have dogs and just moved to a guard gated one and totally understand, previously we were relegated to just surrounding streets and when they would get bored of that we would drive them to Cottonwood canyon, your ferret may enjoy it there by the way. Located near Costco in Summerlin.

[SouthernGirl77]

I guess I'm just wondering what you think would be so appealing behind that gate? Most of the houses in this town look the same. Most neighborhoods save for a few have rocks. No big yards, no gardens or pretty landscaping to look at. No interesting trees, etc. Idk maybe its just me but i don't see why anyone would have any interest in looking beyond the gates unless you're talking about the mansions the celebrities own. Now those i can see people wanting to look at.

[Clarkcty]

Originally Posted by SouthernGirl77

I guess I'm just wondering what you think would be so appealing behind that gate? Most of the houses in this town look the same. Most neighborhoods save for a few have rocks. No big yards, no gardens or pretty landscaping to look at. No interesting trees, etc. Idk maybe its just me but i don't see why anyone would have any interest in looking beyond the gates unless you're talking about the mansions the celebrities own. Now those i can see people wanting to look at.

I don't know about you but I find Xeriscaping beautiful. In a way the aesthetics of it is similar to a Japanese rock garden.

[LV10101]

Originally Posted by SouthernGirl77

I guess I'm just wondering what you think would be so appealing behind that gate? Most of the houses in this town look the same. Most neighborhoods save for a few have rocks. No big yards, no gardens or pretty landscaping to look at. No interesting trees, etc. Idk maybe its just me but i don't see why anyone would have any interest in looking beyond the gates unless you're talking about the mansions the celebrities own. Now those i can see people wanting to look at.

The higher end gated communities are very different inside the gates than outside. Many have professional landscaping, manicured lawns/trees, some have golf courses. Also the real appeal is the gates keeping people out of their community and lower crime. I can walk in my gates community at 2am in the morning and have little worry about being a victim of crime. I can not walk in the neighborhood outside the gates at 2am in the morning with out being much more concerned about crime.

You might not understand or agree with the idea of a gated community but I for one love it.

[von949]

Originally Posted by LV10101

I can walk in my gates community at 2am in the morning and have little worry about being a victim of crime. I can not walk in the neighborhood outside the gates at 2am in the morning with out being much more concerned about crime.

Is it really that much of a difference between inside/outside of the gates in your neighborhood?