Beefed-up security lifts Plantation Lakes

An Olive Branch subdivision near the state line is getting the kind of traffic now that boosts the livability of the neighborhood, not the kind that tears it down.

A year ago, Plantation Lakes homeowners were finishing in- stallation of security cameras, including one at the brick entrance at Stateline and Hickory.

They expected the cameras, good enough to record license plate numbers, to ward off motorists and loiterers who seemed up to no good. Apparently it worked.

Now the people who come from outside the neighborhood are interested in becoming a part of Plantation Lakes.

“We’re starting to see people from other counties driving through, looking at houses for sale,” said Keith Dial, homeowner’s association president. “They say our neighborhood looks updated.”

Plantation Lakes residents decided to pay more in dues to hire a security firm to patrol their neighborhood, and they decided to take other measures.

They didn’t want their subdivision to deteriorate. It was a viable concern. At the height of the housing crisis, the subdivision had as many as 40-45 homes for sale.

The three bodies of water at Plantation Lakes were attracting outsiders who sometimes would stand in the street and intimidate passing motorists. They would also leave litter. At the subdivision’s annual yard sale, buyers took photos of open garages and acted as though they were casing the place. They went through trash.

The annual yard sale was suspended for a while, but last year was held again with secu- rity patrols in place. This year’s sale will be April 13 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The 400-plus family neighborhood now averages about 25 homes for sale. Lived-in homes tend to be kept up, benefiting the whole community.

Ward 6 Alderman Dale Dickerson, who lives in Plantation Lakes, said neighborhoods on the state line tend to be susceptible to crime.

“It’s too easy to hop across the state line,” he said.