A San Jose community is fighting to keep the area where they live safe and they are getting push back from the city.
The push back comes when the Mansion Park, a condominium community in South San Jose, tried to get permission to put a security fence two years ago at the entrance to their complex. That request was denied and since then a 70-year-old man said he was attacked by a group of teens right outside his home.
About 100 families live in the private complex. They say they have been having problems with loud music and drinking in the park. Signs posted in the area are not keeping neighbors safe from aggressive behavior.
"They threw me down to the ground, I hit my face, I hit the ground and I was bleeding," resident Joe Sier said of being recently attacked in his own neighborhood.
Sier said he was attacked on Feb. 5 by three teenage girls when he started taking pictures of a crowd at the park.
"They were punching me in the back," Sier said.
The attack sparked renewed interest in putting a gate on their private community.
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"The City of San Jose has implemented a moratorium on private gates in private communities," homeowner Eric Pace said.
The city believes private streets should be used for public recreational purposes. The idea is a part of what is called San Jose Envision 2040, which was adopted in 2011.
Pace believes that has not proved to be safe for his community.
"We constantly have criminals coming through our neighborhood looking for opportunities to steal and break into cars," Pace said.
Members of the homeowners association met with San Jose police and a city council representative to discuss the safety issues.
Homeowners said police cannot protect them, which is why they want a security fence.
