Neighborhood Watch Issues Solicitors Alert

The Hauppauge-based Perfect Neighborhood Watch group on Friday issued a warning to resident to be extra wary of door-to-door solicitors, as reports of seeing them around the community have spiked.

"If they do not have a permit from Public Safety they are in violation of Town Code Section 215. This code is enforceable by police if called," organizers said in a group email to locals. "If you find this a nuisance, call for enforcement. It's the only way these folks will get the message they have to get a permit."

Door-to-door solicitors have long been a topic for the Perfect Neighborhood Watch. Its captain, James Semon, in February 2012 posted a letter on Hauppauge Patch about the dangers of solicitors.

"Criminals posing as utility workers doing home improvement, contractors and cable TV installers among others have plagued our neighborhoods for years. In fact, the idea of knocking on your door in order to perform reconnaissance for a burglary is nothing new," he wrote.

"As the captain of a neighborhood watch group, I have personally seen the effect of door-to-door solicitors in my community and some of the crime that accompanies it. As I see it, this is a direct assault on my family’s privacy, safety and security. All too often these people have been known to target the elderly."

Let us know in the comments: Do you open the door for solicitors?