By Meridian Police Chief Blake Johnson
After getting some rain and the belief that it will start getting cooler, I hope to see more of you out of the house and working in the yard, or just walking in the neighborhood. I anticipate this good weather will increase the number of door-to-door vendors as well. I am surprised that in the digital age we still have a large amount of salespeople coming to the door trying to sell merchandise.
Just to remind the citizens of Meridian, anyone coming to your door to sell you anything must have applied for and been granted a permit to vend within the city. This is exclusive of persons who exercise their first amendment right of free speech. This person is exempt from permitting but you do have the right to ask them to leave your residence if you do not want to hear what they have to say.
Another thing I would add is when a person receives a permit from the city; they will be given a piece of paper they can show you allowing them to solicit legally inside the city. The process to get a permit requires a fee and a small background check to see if the person has an active criminal history that could make them a danger to the community. The permit does not mean the vendor has a clean bill of health, or the product has been inspected by the police department and has our endorsement.
I caution you that people will come into town and go door-to-door, using your time in an attempt to gain access into your home. Many are probably wishing to sell you a service that you may or may not want. People still go to the door because the likelihood you will say no to the sales pitch is diminished. It is harder to say “no” face to face. If they have a compelling story, you’re even more apt to buy something.
This summer I had two vendor permits from a couple of nice people from outside of the United States. One was a man from Canada and the other was a young female student from Eastern Europe. Both people were very nice and polite and received a permit to solicit in the City of Meridian. Although they passed the background check, I have no idea about how well the solar panel product worked or about the books the young lady was selling. I would caution you before doing business with people you don’t know. The young lady asked me to take a picture with her on her Facebook page where she displays many pictures of herself with police leaders. I explained to her I would issue the permit, but I was not able to publicly endorse her or her product.
Please be cautious when people come to your door. Letting people you don’t know into your house is not a good idea, especially if you are alone. Ask for them to leave information at the door and review it on your time, then you can decide if you need the service.
If you have questions, call for an officer to come check it out to make sure they are following the law. Know you have the right to ask someone to leave at any time. Thanks for being safe.
