| South Gate, located in Los Angeles County, about seven miles southeast of the downtown area, is known as a Gateway City. It began its life as an industrial city, with a predominantly white blue-collar community fo workers supporting the General Motors manufacturing plant. This plant was converted to manufacture aircraft engines during World War II, with many of the same workers contributing their labor. Today most industry has left the area for Long Beach and San Diego, and South Gate continues to experience high rates of unemployment and poverty as a result. In 2009, a special meeting was held to pass a resolution declaring a fiscal state of emergency for the city. Unfortunately, the city continues to be quite deeply in debt, and the majority of residents continue to live below the poverty line. The median per capita income for residents is just over $14,000 per year, which is noticeably lower than other communities in both California and across the nation. Likely as a result of many citizens’ poverty, South Gate experiences crime rates listed at a startling 82% higher than the rest of the country’s. When compared exclusively to cities of around the same size, this community of 96,000 people fares even more poorly. Crimes are not committed at random, however, and some areas of the city are safer than others. Like most cities, the areas with the highest crime are located both near the city center and near the major thoroughfares, where the most commercial activity occurs. Statistically speaking, this is often the case. In both large cities and small, living near a major highway or transit hub is one factor that can increase residents’ risk of experiencing property crime. Rates of burglary, theft, and other forms of property crime are only marginally higher than the national and state averages. One in 36 residents of South Gate reports being a victim of property crime, whereas only one in 41 fall victim across the state. Rates of violent crime, such as robbery, assault, and outright murder, are, however, significantly higher. In California as a whole only one in 252 residents become victims of violent crimes. In South Gate, statistics show one in 186 inhabitants will be victimized. This can be partially attributed to Los Angeles County’s generally high level of gang activity and associated violence. This year, 2016, got off to a rough start, as two teenagers were killed in what is assumed to be a gang shooting. Both victims were from the area, and the perpetrators have yet to be apprehended. Unfortunately this is not unusual for the area. Although only one person was murdered in 2015, this type of activity is not uncommon. Most law-abiding citizens, however, do not have much to fear from gang violence, which primarily targets other gangs or participants in organized crime. It is, of course, important to take safety precautions when out on the town. However, most residents will never experience any form of gang violence directly. As with crime rates, poverty and affluence are not uniform across the board either. South Gate also has its share of wealthier inhabitants, despite only 6.95% of inhabitants holding bachelor’s or advanced secondary education degrees. Surprisingly, the city’s real estate market is actually booming. Housing costs are some of the highest in the country, although they’ve got nothing on some wealthier areas of California. What’s interesting about these statistics, when viewed on a local level, is that household income and property prices do not necessarily correlate by neighborhood to crime levels. The cost of housing around the downtown area represents some of the highest rates in any neighborhood, despite its also being one of the areas that experiences the most crime. Regardless of where a home is located, it’s important to practice basic safety precautions. This means locking the doors and windows, securing valuables out of sight from outside, and reporting any suspicious activity to the police. Just last summer, an intended home invasion was avoided by intrepid residents who noticed three suspicious characters in their back yard. After reporting the incident to the police, they confronted the would-be armed burglars, apprehending one of them by pushing him into their pool. By the time he got out, police were on the scene. The suspect was shot by an officer as he tried to escape, and transported to the local hospital. All three suspects were determined to have been carrying guns. Most homeowners are not interested in actively confronting armed burglars in their back yards. For those who fall into this category, which is presumably most people, installing a home alarm system may be a better way to go. Advances in technology have made many home alarm and security options much more affordable, and most of them can be programmed to report a potential break-in directly to the authorities. Installing a security system isn’t just a safer option than personally confronting armed shooters, though. It can also be a great help in the event that the burglars cannot be deterred. If the system uses security cameras in addition to alarms, it can also be more effective. Capturing video footage or still photos of the suspects often makes the difference between an unsuccessful police investigation, and a homeowner receiving his stolen property back from the perpetrators of the crime. Although not many home security companies have active offices within South Gate’s borders, most national carriers serve the area. These include ADT Monitoring, AT&T Digital Life, and SafeStreets, USA. A basic wireless home alarm is cost-effective and simple to install, making it a good option for those who don’t have the money to drop on expensive security cameras and motion sensor devices. Since they don’t require hard-wiring, they can also be easily installed in apartments, where residents typically do not own their residence. |
