Gated communities are becoming increasingly common across the United States. With as many as 15 million people now living in gated communities and 77.1 million living in community associations, many residents say they feel a greater sense of safety in these neighborhoods. As a community manager or security guard, it’s your job to make sure your residents feel safe and secure at all times. While this may seem like a difficult task, this guide will empower you with the information, checklists, and technological insight, you’ll need to greatly improve your HOA and gated community security.
In this Guide
- What is Gated Community Security?
- Benefits of Security in a Gated Community
- Checklist: Areas to Protect
- Important Components of a Security System
- Access Control and Video Cameras
- Pricing and Prioritizing
- FAQ
What is Gated Community Security?
Imagine a fortress without walls, iron locks, castle guards, and moats. It wouldn’t have taken long before the people in the castle were overrun by outsiders. Gated community security is essentially the modern version of these fortress protectors. It’s the set of systems that protects residents and property assets within a private neighborhood. Typically, these systems will consist of controlled access points, security guards, surveillance cameras, visitor management, perimeter fencing, and emergency response systems.
Residents may use key cards, mobile apps, or biometrics for entry, while guards or digital tools monitor and approve visitors. Combined with proper lighting, these features offer increased safety, privacy, and peace of mind.
Where Should I Protect?
Before hiring a team of security guards or sinking capital into your next access control system, it’s important to plan. As the old adage goes, “measure twice, cut once.” If you haven’t already, one you should determine the areas you want to secure. Do I need cameras in all my community’s common areas or can I use motion sensors in some?
Consider the technology options at your disposal, your budget, if electrical power is necessary, and the risks involved in not securing a given area. Use the checklist below as you build your plan.
Checklist: Areas to Protect in a Gated Community
- Entrance/Main Gate
- Gates – Side and Back
- Pedestrian Access Points
- Guard Booths
- Mailboxes
- Resident and Visitor Parking
- Perimeter Walls
- Clubhouses
- Swimming Pools & Game Rooms
- Fitness Centers
- Sidewalks
- Event Rooms
- Maintenance and Utility Rooms
- Front Desk and Offices
The Benefits: Why Gated Community Security Matters
We’ve all been there: those days when everything seems to go wrong. Your residents were complaining about leaks, the contractors showed up late, and your boss just told you to work over the weekend. You can’t wait to get home and decompress. But when you arrive home, you notice one of your windows has been smashed. Your home has been burglarized. You walk inside and pigeons are in your pantry and eating all your Pringles. Music blares from the upstairs where a group of troubled teenagers have set up shop. No relaxation today, buddy.
As absurd as the above example may be, it illustrates the importance of gated community security. Residents depend on community managers, like you, to curate an environment of safety and comfort. You’re the leader who builds the environment where kids can be kids, families can grow, and everyone has the opportunity to live to their fullest potential. (And most of all, nobody has a kitchen ransacked by hungry pigeons.)
Beyond resident comfort, there are many benefits to making sure your community has a robust security system and plan.
Top 5 Benefits of Strong Gated Community Security
- Residents Feel Safer
- Higher Quality of Life
- Increased Property Value
- Emergency Preparedness
- Protection of Community Areas and Assets
1. Residents Feel Safer
How we feel greatly impacts how we behave. When people feel safe, they are more likely to act with kindness towards strangers, share, and invest in each other’s lives. Residential security can give people a better sense of safety, which leads to a more collective community.
2. Higher Quality of Life
Home burglaries, car theft, and violent crime quickly erode the quality of life within a community. With a modern approach to security that combines access control systems, surveillance cameras, security guards and emergency preparedness training, you can cultivate a community that ensures the highest quality of life possible.
3. Increased Property Value
A study investigating how gated community security impacted home values found that communities that had installed gates benefited from a 26% increase in value. This study, conducted from 1979-1998, likely under represents the current value of gate security systems. Today, it is likely higher due to the growth in housing markets across the county. Additionally, the study concluded that gated neighborhoods were 9% more than their non-gated counterparts.
Stats aside, safer neighborhoods are more desirable to live in and consequently create higher demand. This higher demand translates to higher values of gated communities.
A final point relates to crime. Vandalism is costly for a community and, when it occurs, repairs and replacements must occur. These repairs may be for doors and locks, walls might need to be painted over or windows might need replacing. All this impacts your budget. However, effective security solutions reduce crime, acting as a deterrent to vandals.
4. Emergency Preparedness
Active shootings are on the rise in the United States. Climate change is impacting everywhere – from the hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida to the floods in Kansas and the Great Plains States to the fires in California and Oregon. The communities that suffer the most are the ones least prepared. By implementing a modern emergency preparedness plan along with your security system, you can stay a step ahead. Some essentials include: trained personnel, automated access control, evacuation plans, and accessible medical equipment. Proactive preparation doesn’t just save lives – it fosters a deep sense of trust and peace of mind among residents.
- Protection of Community Areas and Assets
Vandalism and misuse of amenities can ruin public spaces and bring down morale within communities. By the same measure, destroyed property is very costly. Video surveillance cameras, access control, and virtual guarding can help protect your most valuable amenities. Safeguarding these assets ensures they remain well-maintained and will help your long-term budget.
The Solutions: Most Important Solutions for HOA and Gated Community Security
Remember back in elementary school when the art teacher would tell the class to “put just a little glue in each corner of the construction paper?” There were always those kids who would pour half the Elmer’s bottle on the page. (Maybe you were one of them!)
Security is sort of the same – add too many security gadgets and you’ll be overwhelmed (not to mention your residents will feel like they’re in prison). Balance is key; so when you’re designing your security system, you can alway consult a SafeTouch security professional. Nevertheless, it’s still helpful to know some of the most important solutions for gated community security.
Access Control: Security from Perimeter to Front Door
Access control systems are designed to regulate who can enter, exit, or move through specific areas of your gated community. In residential settings, especially gated communities, access control serves as the defense against unauthorized access by verifying visitors, guests, delivery people, contractors, and more.
The best access control systems connect your entire hardware and software security infrastructure into a single pane of glass. Here are a several key parts of an access control system for HOA neighborhoods:
- Door alarms
- Software monitoring dashboards
- Credentials (e.g., mobile, keycards, key fobs)
- Intercom systems (e.g., two way intercoms, video intercoms)
- Door audit logs
- Video API integrations
- Emergency door and gate lockdowns
- License Plate Recognition
Which is Best: Cloud vs. On-Prem vs. Hybrid Access Control
There are three types of access control for gated community security. Take a look at the information below to decide which is best for you.
Cloud-based Access Control Systems
Cloud access control is the latest trend. Much like Apple Music or Netflix, users simply store their physical security data in the cloud, rather than in on-site servers. This means you aren’t responsible for any server maintenance or upkeep.
The cloud is ideal for community managers and security teams seeking remote access, real-time updates, and scalable solutions. These platforms allow property managers and security personnel to work remotely. So, if you have multiple properties, cloud-based access control may be the way to go.
With just an internet connection, community managers and security teams can monitor and manage entry permissions, view surveillance video, and issue or revoke credentials. Updates and patches are handled automatically, so you don’t have to take time to install new software.
On-premise Access Control Systems
These systems are hosted locally on a server stored within the community. They are typically favored in environments that require strict data privacy or have limited internet connectivity. While offering full control over data and configurations, they require dedicated IT resources for maintenance, backup, and upgrades.
Hybrid Access Control
A growing number of gated communities are opting for hybrid systems that blend the flexibility of cloud management with the security and control of on-premise infrastructure.
Regardless of which model is chosen, integration with other smart community technologies, such as license plate recognition (LPR), biometric authentication, and mobile access apps, can significantly improve both security and resident satisfaction.
Security Cameras for Indoors and Outdoors
Security cameras, video surveillance, and video management systems are the extra set of eyes you need in your community. Features such as motion detection and night vision track any activity 24/7, alerting you to any suspicious activity.
Property managers often place video cameras in clubhouses, pool areas, fitness centers, and game rooms. Additionally, security cameras can be paired with two-way intercom systems at the entrance gate to see who’s coming and going from your community.
Over the past decade, the technology in video cameras and video management systems have made significant advancements, including their video quality, storage, and capabilities.
Video Quality
High definition cameras with 1080p resolution are now the norm rather than the exception, with higher resolutions like 2K and 4K now available.
Storage: No longer are security teams forced to make room for bulky, on-prem servers. Instead, you can store all your video off-site with video surveillance as a service (VSaaS). As a result, regular server maintenance has also become a thing of the past, and getting the latest features installed on your VMS is as easy as clicking a “Update Now” button.
Capabilities: Whether you need a basic dome camera for monitoring the community clubhouse from afar, or a camera with two-way audio for the gate entrance, it is easier than ever to find a custom solution for your needs.
Looking for a way to quickly identify people? Many video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) systems now include AI-enhanced and facial recognition features. Facial recognition will help you keep track of visitors and residents.
Pricing and Prioritizing Community Security
And the magic number for the cost of your brand new gated security system is…it depends.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for security in gated communities. It stands to reason, then, that there isn’t one cost. Instead, several variables affect the price, and it’s unique to each neighborhood.
Factors like location, technology requirements, number of entry points, and choosing live or virtual guards, all contribute to the total pricing. Larger communities or those in high-crime areas may require 24/7 patrols or advanced access control systems, while smaller, lower-risk communities might opt for part-time security or mobile patrols. Ultimately, the key to effective and cost-efficient security lies in understanding your community’s specific risks and priorities, then tailoring a solution that balances protection with budget. But don’t worry, we’re here to help.
With over 30 years of industry experience, SafeTouch installation experts will help you assess, purchase, install, and monitor the security in your community. Whether you’re installing alarms, shopping for HD security cameras, or overhauling your entire access control system, our industry experts will work with you. Give us a call at 888.895.SAFE (7233) to speak with a SafeTouch expert today!
FAQ
For maximum security in gated communities, choose gate entry systems with built-in security cameras. Video gate intercoms provide an extra layer of protection and convenience for tenants to securely control access to their property.
The Summit Club in Red Rock Canyon offers top-of-the-line security, with 24-hour guard service and a state-of-the-art surveillance system, making it the most secure gated community in the US.
RFID tags for gated communities allow entrance with a simple sticker, using high-frequency radio waves to transmit credential data from the tag to the gate’s RFID sensor. With more data capacity than traditional credentials, this type of access is becoming increasingly popular.
Types of smart gates include swing, slide, vertical lift, vertical pivot, and bi-folding gates. Considerations for selecting a gate opener system include gate type, power source, and frequency of use.
A virtual guard gate is a remote security system that uses access control, video surveillance, motion detectors, two-way communications systems, and security software to monitor and control access to a property. HD High Speed Cameras capture and record license plates of visitors with no prior authorization.