Solicitors are Mandated to Get Background Checks Before Hitting the Streets

Published on July 27th, 2011
Written by Public Record Finder Staff

Who can forget the innocence of girl scouts selling their cookies door to door to raise funds? Or maybe the rudeness of the more intrusive salesman peddling the latest electronic gadget every home must have? Door to door solicitation is an American tradition. From vacuums to nonprofit fundraisers, the doorbell is recognized all too often as a signal to either take out the wallet or duck and be quiet.

Though seemingly harmless, door to door solicitation has become the scene of robberies, especially for the residents of Hamburg, NY. As a result, the town is cracking down on solicitation that crosses the lines of safety. Due to recent burglary events where solicitors would enter houses and steal items, the town sought to implement more safety measures to protect the residents of Hamburg.

Solicitors there are already required by law to get permits before going door to door with direct sales, but the new law adds the requirement of a background check. Though the Town Board approved the law last August, the final approvals just took place recently and the process has now become a mandate.

The check plus the fingerprints will cost the applicant $85.75, in addition to the cost of the permit which is $100. Upon passing the background check, solicitors will be free to go door to door as long as they wear their permit and photo ID around their necks.

Town Clerk Cathy Rybczynski is urging Hamburg residents to look for the permits on the solicitors. "If somebody comes to the door, we want them to call and ask if they have a permit," said Rybczynski. If they do not have a permit, the resident can call either 911 or the Town Clerk's Office to report it.

The town will issue solicitors permits except if they have been convicted of a crime involving "moral turpitude." In Hamburg, fingerprints of the applicants are taken to Police Officer Scott Fraser who reviews the files and decides on the approval status based on any criminal record. Generally, the town is lenient when reviewing criminal records, but they are also cautions when crimes are present. "If you were 16, 17 years old and got caught shoplifting, we take that into consideration," Fraser said. "I recently turned down a guy who, over the course of the last two years, had run-ins with burglary and criminal possession of a controlled substance."

If anyone is turned down for a permit, police officials will not contact the employer of the applicant. The applicant is permitted to visit Police Officer Fraser to discuss the findings in more detail. According to Fraser, those who get turned down can talk to him and bring in police reports and supporting corroboration to try to change his mind.

The town of Hamburg is adamant about protecting the people who live there. When questioned about the new measure, Town Clerk Cathy Rybczynski said, "It's for the security of the residents."