San Antonio's Gated Communities:
Secure But It's Not Fort Knox
In days of old, some lived within the walls of a community to have a degree of safety from the lawless scoundrels who roamed far and wide seeking to plunder the possessions and lives of those who lived within the walls. The enclosures could have been for a person or family of royalty, who might reside in a castle. In other cases an entire town or village could have lived within a fortified enclosure to protect themselves from the villains outside.
In the United States, our first gated communities were probably forts, or garrisons used to provide bases of operations for military engagements. Our top tourist attraction in San Antonio, The Alamo, was a gated community.
San Antonio now has a large number of gated communities and they are not all the same. If you are new to the area, and are considering living in a gated community here are a few things for you to consider.
Do Gated Communities Offer Better Security Than Non-Gated Communities?
I do not have a studies, statistics, or data to back the following up. So this is my personal opinion only. Gated communities offer some limited barrier to entry for non-invited visitors.If the people who are committing criminal acts in the community are residents of the community, the gates will not keep them out since they live within the walls of the gates.
What Levels of Security Are Offered in Gated Communities?
The levels I've observed come in these flavors;
- Manned (or staffed entry points) with required photo ID presentation, and roving armed guards (maybe patrolling is a better choice of words)
- Staffed entry points, with supplemental video surveillance at unmanned entry points
- No staff but gate code entry and video surveillance
- No staff but gate code entry
What is the best way to live secure in a gated community?
Neighbors have to look out for neighbors. Do not be complacent that because you live in or are considering living in a gated community that you are untouchable by criminals. Lock your vehicle if you park outside, nothing of value visible in the vehicle. I suggest you maintain the same level of concern for personal safety and property inside a gated community as you do outside a gated community. Remember, if gate codes are not handled responsibly, unauthorized people are free to roam.
We have lots of choices on gated communities in San Antonio. There are over 2,400 homes in gated communities for sale in the area today. To avoid compromising the security and procedures used, no specific gated communities were identified for this post.
I would like to help you with your real estate issues-buying or selling. Call me, Wayne Johnson, 210-394-2269.
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