Gated communities are an amenity many people look for when buying or renting a home, as they are said to be safer and more secure than conventional neighborhoods. But experts warn that homeowners should take precautions and other safety measures, whether they live in a gated community or not.
"In my experience as a patrol officer, and as an investigator, we handled just as many burglaries, thefts, criminal mischief (calls) in gated communities than in communities that weren't gated," said KSAT Crime Analyst Eddie Gonzales. "In reality, you still need to take the same precautions as you would anywhere else."
Gonzales said there are a host of ways someone can get through those gates, either at apartment complexes or subdivisions.
"They can get in and park by the side, and wait to go in," Gonzales said. "Or people who have moved out, or their kids gave the code to somebody, and they gave to somebody, so you don't know who eventually has the code."
For Ivy Bejarano, who moved into an upscale neighborhood in a gated community in hopes of being safe from crime, the gates provided a false sense of security.
"I have actually suffered two break-ins within three months," Bejarano said. "They stole pretty much everything but my furniture. Jewelry, TVs. Even my jeans and clothes."
Though there are no hard numbers on how many crimes happen in gated communities versus non-gated, Gonzales said not becoming a victim boils down to the homeowner or renter.
"You are your first line of defense. You're responsible for your own first safety, and protection of your property," Gonzales said. "So what you want to do is always be alert and incorporate those things into your everyday life."
