I was talking to a police officer recently about the additional security afforded by gates and I asked if gates you couldn’t see through were more secure.
He said that there was no doubt that gates you couldn’t see through (close boarded) offered greater security. This was because a thief couldn’t see what was inside that he could steal, or how to set up the theft or even if the owners were at home. All these factors made the potential burglary much more risky so the thief would move onto to easier pickings.
He finished by adding that the gates almost certainly also make residents feel safer in their homes.
A few days later, I was talking to another police officer about the additional security afforded by gates and I asked him if gates you could see through were more secure.
He said that there was no doubt in his experience that a gate you could see through gave a great degree of security. This was because thieves breaking in would be visible to passing pedestrians, traffic and neighbours.
Both these experienced officers knew that the main thing that deters a thief is the fear of getting caught. Gates increase this possibility significantly so the simple answer is:
Any gate is better than no gate.