Buy a home inside a private, gated community, and you're buying an extra level of protection against crime. That's the prevailing wisdom in real estate, but it may not hold true everywhere.
Residents at Aventura Isles, a development on Ives Dairy Road in northeast Miami-Dade County, say over the past six to nine months they've been hit with a relentless wave of burglaries, break-ins, and at least one car theft.
NBC 6 spoke to three residents of the complex, all of whom have become crime victims in recent months. They gathered together to tell their stories and voice their concerns.
"It makes me feel very scared and insecure," said resident Shruti Sarawgi.
"Community's just not safe," added Anthony Clarke.
Jack Cassius said, "I'm very frustrated and very upset."
Cassius woke up last Saturday to a shock: his beloved BMW convertible was gone. Security camera video shows it rolling right out the front gate of the community, but unfortunately, the driver's face is obscured in the video.
"When you live in a gated area, you don't expect to have a car stolen from right in front of your house," said Cassius.
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20 minutes earlier that same night, right down the street, Sarawgi's security camera captured something on video she'd rather not watch: a thief you can clearly see quickly gets into her BMW.
"He took his time and it seemed he was very calm, he was in no rush," Sarawgi said.
The video shows the white, possibly Hispanic man sitting in the car, then he gets out and walks to the trunk, takes a laptop, a jacket, and walks away with about $8,000 in goods and cash. The neighbors think this same man then drove off in Cassius's car, part of what they call an unrelenting crime spree.
"And nobody in the community is stepping forward to do anything about it because they're scared the property value might go down," Sarawgi said.
The developer did install temporary lights and motion sensors in a field bordering the property, but with no perimeter fence forcing visitors to enter through the guard gate, neighbors say burglars can easily get in and out.
So, apparently, can dognappers. Someone snatched Anthony Clarke's Pomeranian, Jerry, right out of his yard in the middle of the day.
"My entire family was devastated by losing that dog, someone just walk up and take him and leave," said Clarke.
That was months ago and Jerry was never found. The thief caught on camera breaking into the BMW, and who might have stolen the convertible down the street, looks to be in his late 20's or early 30's, he's white and possibly Hispanic, and wears a slight beard on his chin.
The property manager did not return our calls for comment.
Miami-Dade Police acknowledged Aventura Isles had a serious crime issue, but say they've addressed it by conducting surveillance operations at night and by increasing patrols in the daytime hours. Police say in the last four weeks there have only been two reported burglaries in the entire development, which they call a "phenomenal" improvement. However, the police agree a perimeter fence would be a huge help, and privately, sources within the Miami-Dade Police Department say budget cuts have reduced their ability to patrol the area as much as they'd like to.
