Private Security on private estates

[CCTVcity]

What’s your view on this?

I just visited family, well my home of 25 years before I left for adulthood. For the last year or so some of the residents on the private estate have hired a private security firm. I don’t know exactly but going to say probably about a quarter of residents.

This company patrols up and down streets on the estate in vans and cars with security dogs 24/7. In the middle of the road at 1mph crawling along. At night with flood lights beaming into house frontages (although thankfully no flood lights this evening as only the van today).

They stop people randomly, flash cars and those going about their business and ask ‘are you ok’. But in an annoying way where they return if your still there when they circle back.

They think they own the place.

It honestly feels unsettling. I think my parents are used to it now; well no I actually think just trying to ignore it so it doesn’t upset them - but it’s honestly intrusive and just raises the blood pressure.

The most recent intervention is a new anpr type system which turns the once automatic gates into some kind of delayed entry system - unless you have submitted your number plates. So the pizza delivery guy or any other unregistered visitor has to wait multiple minutes at the gate before they open to enter. In reality I think this will become a shit show and the gate will just be left open.

I don’t know whether this is linked to how I feel as it’s my childhood home and this relaxed safe community place has become this odd slightly dystopian nightmare when I visit or whether this is genuinely unreasonable and ridiculous.

And then I think maybe I would feel differently if I was there with my young child now (this security issue started after a spate of recent robberies which were all in empty homes recently marketed - so pre scoped and non confrontational robberies). But then I think no I don’t think I would feel any better as last thing we need is unaccountable men roaming around in vans with the appearance of some kind of authority when we have no idea who they really are.

How would you feel if this was your going on in your home?

Is this in the U.K.?

Yes Home Counties.

I think it’s the future. Police are under resourced and can’t respond to people’s concerns.

We have them here, it's depressing, I bet they respond to lots of petty concerns

Wow so more common or becoming increasingly so. What do they actually do then? What value do they give?

Sure there’s the deterrent aspect but I can’t see a professional burglar being upset by them. They are hardly discreet about where they are in the estate.

All I see them doing is disturbing residents who actually live here. Why would anyone want to live like that?!

Or Maybe they don’t and maybe that’s the issue here. Perhaps these are mostly empty homes due to work or travel etc so they do want security.

So 50/50 now in the vote.

Hmmm.

I hoped this thread would provide some insight into how I am feeling - whether normal or just too personally linked to my past view of the estate.

But it seems it is a split issue!

I would think my parents are probably safer with it, than without. If I was "up to no good", I would look elsewhere....

Is this in Essex by any chance?

I don't think I'd like it one bit OP, and can understand your issue.

As someone who has just had their cherished motorhome written off by vandals ( and I live in a 'naice' place), I would welcome it tbh.
Until this happened to me, I'd have scoffed at it, but seeing the destruction wreaked, and the total and utter disinterest of the police ( despite having a partial number plate, identifiable faces on cctv and clear fingerprints on vehicle), quite honestly, bring it on.

Why would someone choose to live in a secure community and then moan about the elements that make it secure?

People have lost faith in the police. They even admit themselves they don’t come out for certain crimes, clear up rate on burglary is so bad that anyone else who underperformed in their job to such an extent would be sacked. My force was criticised recently for not recording 80000 crimes (or 220 a day). They closed 70% of domestic abuse cases prematurely.

I would think people are less likely to try and commit crime if they know there was a chance they’d be seen. I think groups like this will become more common; on my estate (not Home Counties or a ‘naice’ area) there were a spate of vehicles being broken into. Some people suggested hiding in the back of a van and dealing with the thieves themselves.

A house was broken into near my parents a few years ago, had CCTV inside and out. Burglars were roaming round with large knives (CCTV was released to media), police still haven’t caught them.

I'm glad that gated communities like this are illegal in Ireland.

What do they actually do then? What value do they give?

Where BIL lives they've basically shifted all the burglars and petty criminals to other estates. Most won't take the risk of the hassle of dealing with the security so don't bother trying. I think they'll only bother again when the other estates also get security - then it'll be the ones with the poorest quality/cheapest security that gets targeted.

I'd love that. With age comes a feeling of vulnerability, depending where you live of course.

@SecretVictoria I've thanked you for your post. I think until shit happens to you, you live in a bubble of comfort.
My life has been turned upside down. I have cctv, partial number plate, finger prints, 2 of the 4 faces clearly on camera, and from the police? An incident number.
And I don't live in a busy city, I'm on the edges of a pretty inoffensive town, nowt much happens here.
Except it does, but no one gives a shit.

And yes, I know, shortage of police etc., etc., but this was £15k worth of damage, and no interest.

Sorry, I know I sound bitter,
That's cos I am.

They've had them around here for ages. Not gated, but streets and areas get together to pay for private security to patrol.

Its the future, as the police do nothing.

First step toward a protection racket surely ?

I would feel safer tbh.

What makes you think that? Drumnigh Wood is one example

I think it’s completely a matter for the residents. It’s a private estate and up to them. Of course, there is the issue of how you arrange this stuff if some people want it and others don’t, but that’s private estates for you.

Personally, I wouldn’t buy on a private estate or on a private road.

I’d pay for one. Yes sure it’s likely to just push the problem to another street but that makes my street safe. The police are good for nothing these days.

Wow had forgotten about this thread! Weirdly going there tomorrow so will see if they have managed to fix the big brother gates and what the vibe is.

Although everyone is behaving quite reasonably there seems to be a potential band as many are attending estate meetings. There’s been a scandal of sorts since I posted this but I won’t go into it because that’s outing.

Band of insert something because I was trying to think of a word for the resistance and just missed it out 🤣

I can see this coming in around my area.

Car theft is quite a big problem.