The Reliability of Gate Systems

Re “Gated Communities: False Sense of Safety?” (Sept. 27):

To imply that the unfortunate abduction and rape of a little 12-year-old girl was due to a community being gated is simply ludicrous. Why not blame the light bulb manufacturer for not making bulbs brighter? Or the manufacturer of the sliding glass door for not putting a warning signal on their product when a home owner forgets to lock up.

As a distributor of gate operators and accessories with more than 20 years in the industry, we would also like to take exception to the statement “for all their money--the gates don’t work.” As in any industry, you get what you pay for. When owners and developers buy on the basis of “low bid only,” they don’t always get the caliber of gate operator needed for the size gate or frequency of expected use.

Properly specified, properly installed and maintained gate systems are reliable, add security to their developments and add to property values. Maybe it is snobbery, but so are luxury cars and $500,000 homes.

DAVE SCHAAR

Lake Elsinore