Ask Officer Michelle – Question #56
Posted by JamesIsNot Happy
Hello Officer Michelle,
At the moment I’m not very happy; my home was burglarized last week. This week I’ve been busy implementing a number of new security measures, one of which is a very prominent “No Solicitors” sign.A solicitor just came to my door, and I accosted him about the sign. After a bit of verbal sparring, he responded with “I’m going to F*ck you up, and there is nothing you can do about it because my lawyer is bigger than your!”.
I immediately called 911, was this the correct thing to do?
The 911 dispatcher did nothing becuase the soliciter fled the scene. Is there anything I can do about this? I have flyer he was passing out that contains a company name and numerous phone numbers.
I feel the police department has completely let me down.
Dear JamesIsNotHappy,
I’m sorry you didn’t feel satisfied with the dispatcher’s response when you called. The following are some guidelines that can be helpful in the case of aggressive solicitors and what to tell police when you call.
In general, if a solicitor comes to your door, say, “Not interested,” and close the door. You don’t have to open your door at all if you don’t wish to. If you do speak to the solicitor and he or she becomes aggressive, close the door and call police non-emergency at 264-5471. This would be described as a suspicious subject. You need to be able to describe the subject, as accurately as possible, to Dispatch: age, height, weight, race, clothing, and direction of travel. If there is a vehicle, try to describe that too. If you can see the license plate, that gives the officer even more to go on. With specific information, the dispatcher can then dispatch a unit to respond. Even if the subject left your house, police can still check the area. They can then stop the individual and find out if he/she is legitimate.
The flier that was dropped off can be helpful too. Residents can call the solicitor’s supervisor about what happened.
Take care,
Officer Michelle
