Full Text
SAFETY TIPS IF A SOLICITOR COMES TO YOUR DOOR • Solicitors must have a solicitor’s license issued by the City of Jerome signed by the City Clerk and sealed with the city seal. Always ask for documentation and identification. Know that the city does not “sponsor” or “stand behind” solicitors; if they tell you this, end the conversation and contact city hall. • Always look through the peep hole or window and see who it is. • Never open the door to someone you do not know. If you feel uneasy, don’t open the door. Call your local law enforcement agency if a solicitor is aggressive or asks to enter your home. Never feel obligated to greet an unfamiliar person knocking at your door. • Teach your children what to do if they are alone and someone comes to the home or is looking in windows. • If solicitors try to approach you while you are outside, do not let them approach. Say, “No thank you,” walk back into your house and close and lock your door. A conversation only encourages a solicitor. • If the solicitor does not go peaceably on their away, call the police for assistance. • Watch where the solicitor goes next and notice what they do. Look for suspicious behavior such as looking in car windows, testing doors for locks, or entering back yards. • Report aggressive or suspicious solicitors to law enforcement immediately at 911 (aggressive or threatening) or Non-Emergency [PHONE REDACTED] (suspicious). Provide a description of the solicitor and what direction they were headed. • Follow identify theft prevention guidelines by never giving your credit card information or a check to anyone who solicits you that you do not know. It is often very difficult to determine if someone is legitimately representing a real organization or charity. Again, the city does not “sponsor” or “stand behind” solicitors; if they tell you this, end the conversation and contact city hall. • 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. • Residents can put a “no solicitors” sign on their door to help keep solicitors away.