Security Gates

[billethkid]

We all know they are useless eye wash and so does TV developers. Sooooo, how do you think they justify spending $$$ like today to "...update the software..."?

In a search on the subject I did see some comments about the gates generating a false sense of security.....really??? Every house is either adjacent to a road or highway or golf course or cart path......does anybody think that even if the gates were resident only regulated the security would be improved? Enhanced? Not if you are a realist or have ever lived in a truly gated community.

I suggested in the survey they take them all down and refer the maintenance and payroll to something more real in TV. I get a kick out of hearing residents complain when they are not working or stuck...

Just shows that even something useless can be nurtured, valued and even propagated (no PUN intended).

BTK

[cabo35]

I would like to know a lot more about the security gate system before it is deep sixed (seaman's parlance for tossed overboard). I believe there is little consistency in gating. For example, some gates are manned, some are not. Some Villages can be accessed without going through a gate. Questions I'd like answered included:

Are there really cameras in the gating system?

What gates have cameras and what do they take pictures of? Who monitors them? Where are the monitoring stations? Does the Belvidere gatehouse monitor everything south of 466? Are there monitoring stations north of 466?

When you don't have a card and press the button what happens? I have witnessed a mysterious voice that talks through the box to you and always raises the gate. I have seen the gate rise with no mysterious voice, like magic.
What is that all about?

Do the gates record the carded access numbers of users?

Are contractors, landscape and maintenance personnel logged in anywhere?

What is the total payroll for the security gate staff? Sounded like Watergate for a senior moment.

BTK, while I usually find myself agreeing with many of your posts, I have a divergence with you on the gates. I believe they do have a limited deterrant effect but, they are certainly not fullproof.

From past experience I can tell you that most miscreants are opportunists who look for the easiest target. Access to a non-gated home is an easier target. I am not saying because you are gated, you are completely safe. In the same manner that a home that displays alarm protection warnings around the house may be less likely to get "hit" than a neighbor that does not. Similarly the house with a large barking dog is less likely a target. My point is that the gates do have a limited deterrant effect.

Given that, their potential to increase their effectiveness by reviewing and evaluating the whole gating system may be worth considering. If there are in fact cameras at the gates that should be tastefully but conspicuously displayed. That is a deterrant to crimes of opportunity.

I've actually considered volunteering for a neighborhood security committee to evaluate The Villages gate system, but golf, softball, motorcycle riding and the benefits of The Villages lifestyle have left little time for work and since I don't use my watch for anything but tee times, I don't do meetings well anymore.

The answers to the above questions could be a start for evaluating the system and determining, as BTK suggests, whether it is cost effective or whether it can be modified to be cost effective while actually increasing security.

[Sidney Lanier]

Clearly this is not a gated community. Frankly I'm uncomfortable with a gated community, because it means, among other things, that if there were a problem or disaster, there is only one way out--and everyone is stuck there at the same time! And even though TV is not a gated community, there are villages within it that are like gated communities in this sense--only one way in and out--that I would not be comfortable living in. I think of the gates functioning primarily to slow traffic down analogous to residential streets being designed with curves rather than straight as arrows, more so than serving a security function.

[samhass]

I wish gate cards could be read through the car windows rather than having to roll the window down. I wonder how many people wear out the mechanisms on the electric windows with the constant up and down.

[chacam]

Gate cards can be read through your car windows if you get close enough.

[samhass]

Chacam, some will and some won't. I can go into Winifred and my card will read thru the glass. Most others I go thru will not.

[Taltarzac]

That's correct. I have experimented and the security gate only reads the pass through windows at some of the gates. This was usually when it just started pouring near a gate that I have had to try this experiment.

[swrinfla]

I remain "persuaded" that the gates do, in fact, help a very little bit in keeping out the "riff raff!" I came from a private street, permanently gated at one end, permanently open at the other. The value was that car traffic was "minimal" because of the lack of free flow, but foot traffic, not being impeded in the same way, was sometimes heavy, and, sadly, almost always "dangerous." The fact that at least some gates have a real live person at them may, hopefully, deter the really bad guys!

Still, I'd certainly love to have real security and really controlled gates. Sumter County rules and FEMA restrictions may make that a totally unrealizable goal, however.

:dontknow:

SWR

[Frangyomory]

Our ladies group had a presentation by the Sumter County sheriff's department and a representative of Village Watch.

Every gate has several cameras installed. Some where you can see and some you cannot. A photo is taken of every vehicle going through. The Village Watch fellow brought many examples of the photos that had been taken on several different days and at a few different gates.

Now, I can't speak to the "manned gates" over on the other side on any of this.

When we had the rash of burglaries here in Tall Trees, they were downloading the cameras every afternoon to see if there were any suspicious persons/vehicles that came through the gates.

The cameras are only good AFTER the fact in the investigation of a crime committed.

IMHO since we have NO security even at the manned gates, we should just open them up and let go of the people who are working the manned gates and save some money. I don't know what good the cameras are since they are only useful AFTER the crime has been committed.

The made up sales pitch that we are a "gated" community is now totally known to be false so it makes no sense to have the darned gates, gate cards or employees.

Anyone who wants to get in right now can do so just by pushing the button and saying they are visiting someone or working on something. Waste of our money.

I would love to hear an opinion on why we should keep funding salaries and technology on this very useless issue.

[samhass]

The gates obviously make people slow down. That is critical at some of the entrances.

[nONIE]

I wish gate cards could be read through the car windows rather than having to roll the window down. I wonder how many people wear out the mechanisms on the electric windows with the constant up and down.


Sam, I agree :agree: :agree: :agree:, It wears out the window mechanism and my pushbutton finger. What an inconvienience it is to have to roll down the indow every few minutes and then back up again. Now I wouldnt mind doing it one bit if I thought it was helping detour unsavory characters comming in to TV. In fact the visitors seem to have it easier, I have seen them be waved right thru. :dontknow:

[samhass]

Nonie, you are so right. Residents gates get backed up but visitors often get waived right through.
Go figure. :dontknow:

[chelsea24]

Does anyone know if there are cameras at every gate. :dontknow: I agree, I see many, many people just waved through. And yet, our Realtor always called these "Gated Communities". :o Well, I guess there are gates, for whatever good they do.

[Latchhook]

Why does everyone call them "Security Gates" where did Villagers ever get this term, they are just entry and exit gates nothing more!!!!!!

[Taltarzac]

Our ladies group had a presentation by the Sumter County sheriff's department and a representative of Village Watch.

Every gate has several cameras installed. Some where you can see and some you cannot. A photo is taken of every vehicle going through. The Village Watch fellow brought many examples of the photos that had been taken on several different days and at a few different gates.

Now, I can't speak to the "manned gates" over on the other side on any of this.

When we had the rash of burglaries here in Tall Trees, they were downloading the cameras every afternoon to see if there were any suspicious persons/vehicles that came through the gates.

The cameras are only good AFTER the fact in the investigation of a crime committed.

IMHO since we have NO security even at the manned gates, we should just open them up and let go of the people who are working the manned gates and save some money. I don't know what good the cameras are since they are only useful AFTER the crime has been committed.

The made up sales pitch that we are a "gated" community is now totally known to be false so it makes no sense to have the darned gates, gate cards or employees.

Anyone who wants to get in right now can do so just by pushing the button and saying they are visiting someone or working on something. Waste of our money.

I would love to hear an opinion on why we should keep funding salaries and technology on this very useless issue.


The gates would probably be a deterrent to people unfamiliar with the fact that it is very easy to get through them just by pushing the red button and saying you are going to so-and-so.

I would not want to see a Villages with armed guards at a gate you check out your vehicle for contraband like at some entrance to a military installation or perhaps one of the US borders.

It seems to depend on neighbors to look out for one another's safety and security at least with respect to burglaries and the like.

[784caroline]

OK alot of concerns and I agree...but did you highlight this issue in the recent questionaire that was just sent out????

[golfnut]

my card opens all gates wihout rolling down the window, just try to pull as close to the reader as you can. Sam, when I approach a gate where the resident side is backed up and the visitor side is clear I go through the visitor side and show my card as I pull up.

[The Baker]

Our ladies group had a presentation by the Sumter County sheriff's department and a representative of Village Watch.

Every gate has several cameras installed. Some where you can see and some you cannot. A photo is taken of every vehicle going through. The Village Watch fellow brought many examples of the photos that had been taken on several different days and at a few different gates.

Now, I can't speak to the "manned gates" over on the other side on any of this.

When we had the rash of burglaries here in Tall Trees, they were downloading the cameras every afternoon to see if there were any suspicious persons/vehicles that came through the gates.

The cameras are only good AFTER the fact in the investigation of a crime committed.

IMHO since we have NO security even at the manned gates, we should just open them up and let go of the people who are working the manned gates and save some money. I don't know what good the cameras are since they are only useful AFTER the crime has been committed.

The made up sales pitch that we are a "gated" community is now totally known to be false so it makes no sense to have the darned gates, gate cards or employees.

Anyone who wants to get in right now can do so just by pushing the button and saying they are visiting someone or working on something. Waste of our money.

I would love to hear an opinion on why we should keep funding salaries and technology on this very useless issue.
As an ex gatekeeper I can assure you that you are correct. Some streets are county streets and you cannot stop anyone from using them so every gate on those streets are useless.

[sagtag10]

Actually, you don't have to come in through the Resident's gate...use the Visitor's Side of the gate....it's much faster. When we bought our new car, the salesman told us that putting an electric window down and up when they are wet is a no-no, so I never use my gate card anymore at the manned gates.

[islandgal]

When I moved here two years ago, I was devastated when I realized the �gated community� is false advertising.

I moved from a place where each �village� had a manned gate 24/7 and no one was permitted through the gates without an owner�s sticker on their car, a visitor with a card in their window which was called in by an owner or a contractor or service person whose company had paid an annual fee to gain entrance.

Unfortunately, with so many villages here, that seems impossible to do. I am sure the Neighborhood Watch is a help, but does anyone know why we don�t have regular police surveillance since we have county roads.............and pay taxes?

Are there any TOTVers who are Neighborhood Watchers who can fill us in?

[MnGirl]

Didn't they have pictures of the guys that murdered the lady in Springdale? It was Springdale wasn't it.
We started with a gated community, then Sumter County said they wouldn't maintain the roads unless all citizens could drive on them, I guess we didn't want to pay for any roads, so we let everyone in.

[Vic]

You could still use the gates without the guy sitting on his butt and getting paid for it. Just have push buttons and camera to take picture of whomever uses that gate. And Villagers use their cards.

[Talk Host]

Are we paying for the gate greeters? If not, we have no say in it.

[Barefoot]

Let's not dismantle the gates too quickly! Lots of residents are still under the impression that all TV is "gated" .... because of the gates!! :cop:. What we have in place is a "pretend" security system. It took us a while to figure out that anyone can easily gain entrance. My point being: Even if it isn't truly gated, if the bad guys think it is, couldn't this conceivably be a deterrent?

[krash]

Why do you want to take away the jobs from gatekeepers? Perhaps, in this economy, it is putting food on their table. These people are your neighbors... it's not as if YOU are paying their entire salary - for crying out loud, they're only making about $8 an hour at best. They are always happy to answer questions in regards to directions, and I find it quite welcoming to be waved thru by another happy villager.

[mcelheny]

I live on the edge of The Villages and I can watch a back gate into theLynnhaven/Ashland area and I am so thankful for that gate. I have seen MANY,MANY U turns because people don't think they can get in.
Often on a Sat at night...coming from the direction of Wildwood, ...yelling out windows... drunks on a county road don't come in because they don't know how the gate system works. You can see the little camera at our gate. Ours is an unmanned gate but you can see the camera.
It is just like Taltarzac said. This gate is a real deterrent to MANY people and I only wish we could have more security.