security gates around the housing projects in california are they usefull?

The new East Palo Alto apartment complexes have the same feel...I understand the rationale that this raises the perceived risk, but at the same time, most people who are buying have probably already done their research and know what they are getting themselves into. Renters may be a bit of a tougher sell, but no rational homebuyer is going into the process blind to the surrounding neighborhood. Personally, if I were buying property in a historically crime-laden neighborhood, increased security would be an incentive, not a deterrent.