Large estates, luxury homes, and elite gated communities employ various security measures on the ground, such as gated access points, surveillance cameras, and unarmed security personnel. But if you’re looking for additional security measures for monitoring and surveillance, WPG offers drone services to help address potential sky-related security issues.
The Potential Dangers of California Pro-Criminal Laws
Your luxury gated community has unarmed security but no security in the sky. With the increase in crime that is going on in Los Angeles, the pro-criminal laws that have come into force have made it an even more dangerous city. California has created a no-bail state where even if criminals are arrested, they no longer go to jail and are back on the street committing crimes the same day.
Proposition 47 also implies that if criminals steal anything valued up to $995, they can get away with the crime, even when breaking into someone’s house, shop, or car. This has emboldened criminals and allowed them to quickly escape from jail. Proposition 57 states that those serving longer sentences in prison are aware that factors such as good behavior and ineffective legislation will soon return them to the streets. Therefore, pro-criminal politicians have not only made the lives of citizens more dangerous but have also created obstacles for the police to perform their jobs effectively.
One recent example occurred in Ventura County, where a woman stabbed a victim over one hundred times. She argued that she was impaired from smoking marijuana and that it made her act irrationally. Despite taking a life, she ultimately received no jail time. This serves as just one illustration of how pro-criminal legislation is significantly impacting crime rates, including violent crimes. There has been a sharp increase in smash-and-grab crimes, with criminals breaking shop windows, stealing from them, and attracting attention from onlookers. This trend is not confined to California alone; it is happening across the state and in other jurisdictions with anti-law enforcement policies and urban centers.
The Impact on Luxury Gated Communities
Many people believe that living in a gated community will keep them safer. However, statistics have shown that crime rates and burglaries are typically higher in these communities. Why? Because security should be more robust. Criminals are now targeting high-net-worth families in gated communities.
Most luxury gated communities use unarmed security at the gate; sometimes, a patrol guard patrols the gated community. There is no security in the sky, and this leaves huge gaps in security overall. This makes it easy for bad guys to sneak into the community, break into homes, and terrorize the residents. All the bad guy had to do was climb over a fence or walk around where there might be a hill or blind spot for the unarmed security.
Unarmed security is simply not enough to deter crime anymore. All that unarmed security guards can do is observe and report a crime. This means that if they see someone breaking into a home or committing a crime, all they can do is watch and call the police. They cannot intervene or try to stop the criminal. With a burglary or home invasion, it could take the police well over an hour to even show up at the scene, and sometimes they do not. This means that gated communities need a different level of estate security — one that is present, on the ground, and capable of taking action.
Choosing Armed Security
Now is the time for luxury gated communities to invest in better security. This means having armed security on the ground, but ideally, this guard will also be a drone pilot with a commercial drone license. Gaining this license through an FAA remote pilot training course and taking a 60-question test on restricted airspace rules, regulations, emergency operations, weather regulations, and a few other topics is relatively easy.
This will ensure the entire gated community is closely monitored and protected from criminals. There has even been a shift toward security in the sky by different police departments nationwide that use drones 24/7 to monitor locations throughout a city. Police or security guards can listen on a phone, control screen, or radio to officers on the ground about a potential crime or threat. This cuts down on communication time and can get the officers to the crime scene efficiently. They will also have a better idea of the situation awaiting them, which will keep everyone safer. For example, the responding officers will know the basic features of the criminal and what they are wearing, so they know who to target.
High-tech drones can also take high-quality pictures and video footage, which can be transmitted to security officers and used as evidence later on when building a case against the criminal.
This approach extends to all kinds of venues beyond gated communities. Shopping malls, for instance, have begun to recognize the need to implement security in the sky. Drones can be programmed to patrol certain parts of the property and videotape the property to ensure more thorough protection. Since shopping mall parking lots are becoming critical targets for vehicle break-ins, this is an easy and effective way to monitor a large land area.
Multidimensional Security
Utilizing armed security on the ground and security in the sky is a truly multidimensional approach toward security. Gated communities will still have roving patrols to ensure security on the ground and that they are ready to jump into action or respond to an alert. However, adding drone security is essential. It allows regular, thorough patrols of the entire community without sacrificing residents’ privacy.
If there is a break-in or a violent situation and a resident cannot call for help or set off an alarm, then the drone is more likely to pick up on the problem and get an armed guard or police officer to the scene immediately. Undoubtedly, security in the sky is just as important as armed security on the ground.
The World Protection Group (WPG) offers various drone security services to aid in the private security industry. With decades of executive protection security experience and aerial reconnaissance, we provide a unique ability to increase protection and security for our clients and their families.