You probably got the reverse-911 call from the Southborough Police Department tonight warning about door-to-door solicitors using “high-pressure techniques.” (If you didn’t you may need to add your phone number to the reverse-911 database.)
Here’s the text of the message:
The Southborough Police Department would like to alert its citizens about a possible scam involving young adults soliciting door to door selling magazines using high-pressure techniques to coerce citizens into handling over cash and checks. Some successful ploys include money for my little league team or money for my school. This company has not registered with the Southborough Police Department. So use caution and contact us at 508-485-2121.
We’ve talked about pushy door-to-door solicitors before, and at town meeting in a few weeks you’ll have the opportunity to vote on a tougher bylaw that would more tightly control solicitation in town.
In a recent My Southborough poll, 93% of you said you would support such a bylaw.
But in the meantime, the unscrupulous solicitors are apparently out there, so be careful, and remember that you don’t have to open your door to anyone.
Hmmm…I still didn’t get the reverse 911 call even after the Southborough Police Department added me to the R911 list.
Has anyone else had the same problem?
Does anyone know if the reverse 911 call system has been tested?
I didn’t either, and I have received calls in the past.
We have Vonage for our phone service. I tried to get put on the R911 list but was told by the police department that it was handled by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department, and that they use lists obtained from Verizon.
We have a verizon land line and the Southborough Police Department confirmed that our information would be uploaded to the Worcester County Sheriff’s department back in June, 09.
I’m not sure how often they refresh their data…but we still didn’t receive the latest reverse 911 call.
I was home when the call came in and you had to “press a numeric key” to retrieve the message. So maybe it did not get recorded on answering machines?
Dear Heather:
The Police Dept. DID NOT Confirm that your information would be uploaded. The Southborough Police simply advised you that your tele# would be given to the Worcester County Sheriffs, who fully and totally control the Reverse 9-1-1 system. They work hand in hand with Verizon to update their database information. We have no idea when that takes place or how often.
The Southborough Polcie Dept Does NOT add or change or delete from this database- we have no such access..
The Police Dept. is simply an end user only- trying to make this a safer community. Notification systems are not perfect.
[Ed. note: This comment was originally posted on the About page, but I’ve moved it here to keep it with the topic.]
Hi Susan,
I just wanted to give you some more info on the door-to-door
sales crews in your area. Actually they are in everyones area and they can be extremely dangerous!
Please take heed and warn your locals not to open their doors to traveling sales crew agents. Many are ex-cons and/or convicted criminals.
Here is info on legislation in MA.:
Yarmouth, Massachusetts Passes Strict Door-to-Door Sales ‘No Knock’
Solicitation Ordinance/Regulations
DOOR TO DOOR BY-LAW-codified.htm
Read This New ‘No Knock’ Solicitation Law
For more information:
Contact: Officer Frank Frederickson
Yarmouth, Massachusetts Police Department
http://www.yarmouth.ma.us/index.aspx?NID=128
Yarmouth, Massachusetts:
http://www.yarmouth.ma.us
Sincerely,
Phil Ellenbecker
Director
Dedicated Memorial Parents Group
http://www.travelingsalescrews.info
http://www.dedicatedmemorial.org
Parent Watch
Director
Earlene Williams
http://www.parentwatch.org
http://www.magcrew.com