SCV Sheriffs Need Access to Property During Emergencies:
Seconds Count In Gated Communities
Seconds count when Deputy Sheriff's are responding to critical emergencies in our community. With the development of gated apartment complexes, gated housing communities, secure senior housing, locked parking structures and other fenced common areas with pools and hazards, deputies from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station can encounter delays behind locked entrance gates when responding to critical emergencies.
Deputies from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station's Community Relations and Crime Prevention Unit are encouraging all property managers, developers, property owners and Neighborhood Watch groups to assess their properties accessibility to law enforcement professionals. Although most of these gated housing communities, businesses and parking areas have current key systems in place for the fire department, the sheriff’s department’s access requires a separate key entry system.
Deputies are already patrolling our communities when emergencies or crimes occur and they are often the first emergency services entity to arrive on scene during most emergencies, including fires. We don’t want to be delayed outside when we could be inside helping you. It is our goal to work with you as we assess and enhance this critical need in the Santa Clarita Valley. We want to shorten emergency response times, increase law enforcement visibility, provide unrestricted medical aid, improve patrol service and enhance all residents’ health and safety, but we need access to do it.
Help us help you by considering the addition of a restricted key entry system for your community to be used by Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Deputies to provide law enforcement access, services and protection in the event of an emergency in your neighborhood. These key systems only provide access to public common areas, such as gates or main apartment entryways, and not individual structures or private dwellings. Some property owners provide codes for their gates, but with thousands of codes throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, emergency response can still be delayed. Single key systems offer the most reliable and secure solution. For additional information or questions, contact Deputy Pat Rissler at (661) 799-5159. Read more...
