Answer the Door

As we look for ways to thwart crime, there is a simple thing we can do that we may overlook. How many of us do not answer the door when someone knocks?

Yes, I know. It's probably someone trying to sell something and you're in the middle of dinner and you don't want to deal with it. But you should. The sooner someone informs a solicitor that going door-to-door is not permitted here and that he needs to leave, the quicker he gets the idea that it's not worth the bother.

Most know that they have to leave once asked. Otherwise they're tresspassing. A few will wait for you to go back inside and then continue on. I've made it a habit to go outside and watch the person to make sure he or she leaves.

And now you wonder, "how does this prevent crime?" Most people knocking on doors are trying to sell something or advertise something but at least they may be willing to come by your money honestly.

Others may be criminals casing the neighborhood — testing us to see how we respond. If no one answers their knocks, it tells criminals that the residents don't get involved. They don't come to the door, they don't watch what's going on in the neighborhood, and, finally, they don't know who belongs here or not.

If people can't bother to come to the door when someone knocks, criminals know that they can move freely around our neighbohood without fear that someone will confront them.

That's why the no solicitation rule — which includes anyone not from the HOA passing out any kind of literature — protects the safety of the community. It's not only designed to protect us from scammers, who often reach victims with flyers, roadside signs or going door-to-door, it's a security issue.

So don't hesitate to stop someone giving you some sales spiel in his tracks. Don't be dissuaded when he tells you he's not soliciting, he's merely advertising (like two people I confronted tonight) or he wants you to visit his church or whatever else he is distributing.

Merriam Webster defines solicit to mean "to approach with a request or plea." It doesn't say anything about selling. All of the above things are soliciting. But before we can chase off solicitors, we might have to do something else first.

Answer the door.