Towne Lake Garden Association

Suppose . . . the gate may keep out some criminals, or

suppose . . . the gated community offers a secure place for some youth to come and conduct drug deals because the lookouts only have to watch one entry/exit point and use a text message to alert their cohorts.

suppose . . . the gate may keep out some bad drivers that don't belong, or

suppose . . . the unenforceable traffic rules allow speeders to zoom past stopped school busses with impunity until the school district pulls its bus routes to require students to trek to a "safe" corner outside of the community.

Rich gated communities that also afford full time security staff at entrances and exits might "benefit" from the absence of regular police patrol, but I might suppose that Towne Lake would be better served by removing the gate and petitioning the new councilman to have Towne Lake included in the regular patrol of SAPD.

Unfortunately either the SAFFE officer was off or mis quoted in the minutes.

I have been a police officer for 8 + years including Chief of Police and I have also been hired off duty to work in some gated neighborhoods to help with the same type problems.

Here is a link to an Attorney Generals Opinion.http://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/opinions/49cornyn/op/1999/htm/jc0016.htm

You will see that the AG states you cannot issue tickets on private streets, and if for some reason a ticket is issued it cannot be prosecuted.

Even if tickets could be issued here, it would be rare that they would be. We are off the beaten path and the officers are stretched thin already.

Last night we just got a new Constable for Pct 3 who is a good friend of mine. Come Jan when he takes office I will see what we can do about more police drive thru's, enforcement of non traffic laws, etc.

Andrew 

In an open forum, your rant is offensive.