Dealing with Door-To-Door Solicitors
The following article was submitted by Lakewood's Police Information Officer Steve Davis on August 12, 2015 to Nextdoor.com, a community website which has been very helpful to our neighborhood. [Emphasis added.]
Dealing with door to door solicitors
From time to time the Lakewood Police Department receives complaints regarding door to door solicitors. Many of you have asked about how to deal with them. Following are some suggestions; • If you don’t know the person, don’t open the door. Never feel obligated to greet an unfamiliar person knocking at your door. • Always keep doors and windows locked. Storm doors or security doors are helpful when dealing with solicitors, because you can see and speak safely through the door. Never allow an unfamiliar person into your house. • Solicitors must have a business license and permit. Call your local law enforcement agency if a solicitor is aggressively attempting to get into your home or refusing to show their license/permit. • Don’t expect all perpetrators of door to door sales scams to look the part. Some are clean and well dressed and use special psychological techniques to try to get into your home or get your money. • Always use extreme caution before providing any personal or financial information. • If you are not interested, simply close the door and lock it. You don’t owe the person an explanation. • Stand in front of your home to see what is visible from the street. If you can see your valuable items through the front windows, so can potential burglars. • Residents can put a “no solicitors” sign on their door to help keep solicitors away. • If you observe criminal or suspicious activity, call non-emergency dispatch at 303-987-7111 |
9-8-2015