Fortress California

Sir Edward Coke, the keenest legal mind of the 16th century, first laid down the principle that a man's home is "his castle and fortress, his defense against injury and violence." Sir Edward was speaking figuratively, of course, but now it appears that many Americans are taking him literally. The National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, taking note of the rapid rise in urban crime, not long ago made a grim prediction: "highrise apartment buildings and residential compounds protected by private guards and security devices will be fortified cells for upper-middle and high-income populations." The fortifications are already appearing across the land, most notably in California (where burglaries have increased by 149% in the past decade) and particularly in the southern part of the state, where Los Angeles County suffers the nation's highest suburban crime rate.

By the latest count, there are at least three dozen walled "total security" communities in the desert, beach and woodland areas of Southern California, and more are on the drawing boards. "Until about five years ago," says Los Angeles County Deputy Planning Director Frederick Barlow, "most subdividers wanted the county to maintain their streets. Now a majority of the subdivisions we are approving have private streets" (which entitles the communities to block off the streets with gates and guards);

Typical of the walled communities is a 200-house complex called The Shores in Laguna Niguel, north of San Diego, where many of the armed guards at the gatehouses are ex-Marine combat veterans of the Viet Nam War. "More than likely, the presence of a guard cuts out a lot of crime," understates John Rogers, a burly guard. Nearby Rossmoor Leisure World, in Laguna Hills, is a retirement community surrounded by six-foot-high pink walls and guarded by a security force of 170 unarmed resident patrolmen led by four armed professionals. They man the community's eight carefully guarded gates and patrol its streets round the clock in radio cars.

Some of the newer walled communities are installing remarkably sophisticated security systems. The Mission Hills condominium in the desert near Palm Springs is being rigged with electronic Westinghouse units that monitor for fires, burglaries or equipment failures. Signals are fed to a local computer center that alerts firemen, police or maintenance men and, in addition, activates a net of ultrasensitive microphones installed inside each house, allowing a dispatcher to listen in while help is on the way. Residents are enthusiastic. "I feel so good when I know that I'm entering a house that is untouched," says a Mission Hills housewife.

Crocodile Story. Another guarded community, 125-home Westlake Island, north of Los Angeles, is reachable only by bridge. A guard inspects visitors at the entrance to the bridge, checks with the resident to be sure that company is expected, and only then allows the guest to drive across the moat. As a result, the island is crime-free. "The biggest problem we have," says one guard, "is keeping sightseers off the island and breaking up teen-age parties that get out of hand." Each homeowner on the island pays an annual $220 assessment (nondeductible) covering the cost of the guards and general upkeep, but Islander Walter Smith, robbed twice in his previous flat, thinks the price is a bargain. "I always used to keep a loaded gun by the bed in our Beverly Hills apartment," he says, "but now I don't give it a thought." Rumors about the surrounding waters may contribute to the islanders' sense of security. "Some people claim there are crocodiles in there," jokes Airline Pilot Richard Neet. "The water is better than a wall," says his wife, Ellie; "I don't feel claustrophobic here."

Water does not always guarantee security. Even Westlake Island could learn something from an exclusive, 21-home development in Florida's Hobe Sound, which uses the Westinghouse system with an added touch: because the community is built along a network of canals, a closed-circuit television system monitors the waterways to keep amphibious thieves away.

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