Residents in Coronado have reported a recent uptick in door-to-door salesmen and solicitors on local social media pages, ranging from selling cable TV to pest control, and it is becoming harder for residents to ignore.
“I do feel an increase in solicitors in this area. I’ve seen it,” says resident Chelsea Palmer.
Some residents have taken to a Coronado Facebook page to share their encounters, reporting information like company names and suspicious behavior.
Palmer discussed her recent encounter with door-to-door solicitors in the Facebook group: “I’m honestly not a big Facebook person but the only reason I posted that comment was because it happened twice in one day.”
Resident John Coolidge had a recent and unsavory run-in with a solicitor. Coolidge had to ask the solicitor to leave three times, even after citing the municipal code explaining why the solicitor was acting unlawfully. Each time the solicitor returned and wouldn’t say the name of the company he worked for with Coolidge.
“Some [solicitors] are really nice, I don’t have a problem with them, but this guy I asked to leave three times,” says Coolidge, “They are getting pretty aggressive.”
This isn’t a new issue for Coronado either.
“Our communications center receives a couple of complaints regarding solicitors each month,” says Lea Corbin, Coronado Police Department’s public information officer.
Coronado’s municipal code states that it is unlawful for a person to go onto a private, residential property if it has a “no-soliciting” sign displayed.
Corbin said solicitors must obtain a permit from the City of Coronado to go door-to-door.
There are exemptions for: Civic groups, service clubs or social organizations, persons renting two or fewer residential dwelling units, casual workers such as babysitters, tutors, music teachers and the like. Businesses that are exempt from paying fees or taxes to a municipal corporation by the statutes of the State of California or the U.S., are also waived from getting a license.
Part-time Coronado resident Derik Mundt used to train college students as door-to-door salesmen in the San Diego area. Mundt explains that they are trained to not have business cards or fliers because statistically the residents will very rarely try to contact the salesman.
“Each person wore a lanyard with our permits,” Mundt says, “Legally if someone has a visible no littering sticker by their door or somewhere in clear sight you cannot knock on the door.”
“People are apprehensive,” says Palmer, “There is a lot of conjecture about what’s really behind it, and I hope it’s not paranoia but some people think that they are casing places.”
Casing refers to the act of scouting out a location, with the intent to come back later and commit a crime, such as burglarizing a house.
“That’s why we have a small community and we look out for each other,” says Palmer.
Tips for residents from Corbin:
- You’re not obligated to open the door for anyone you don’t know.
- You can speak through a doorbell camera or through the closed door if needed.
- Never give out your name, phone number, or details about who else lives in the home.
- Post a “no soliciting” sign on your property. If you don’t have one, consider putting one up. It legally deters many door-to-door solicitors.
- If the person refuses to leave or acts suspiciously, call the police department at (619) 522-7350 or 911 if you feel it’s an emergency.
