Suspicious activity reported by residents
January 6, 2012
By Staff
Men seek access to homes by claiming they work nearby
CenturyLink employees working in the Newcastle area were briefly pulled from the streets until they could go through the process to receive proper door-to-door sales permits after residents reported two men acting suspiciously in the areas of Southeast 75th and Southeast 76th streets and 120th and 121st avenues Southeast on Dec. 12.
Newcastle Police Chief Melinda Irvine said in a statement that residents reported two males approached Newcastle homes saying they were CenturyLink employees or contractors making contact about pipe work being done in the area and they needed to enter the homes. The males could not offer an explanation as to why they needed to be in the home, stood away from the house rather than at a conversational distance and did not carry any brochures, Irvine said.
Officers were unable to locate the males, and there were no door-to-door sales permits issued by the city at the time.
Residents reported their behavior as inconsistent with typical legitimate door-to-door salespeople.
The first of the suspicious persons is described as a black male, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a medium build and short hair. The second person is described as a black male that is about 5 feet, 6 inches tall with a slight build who was clean-shaven.
If contacted by these subjects or anyone of concern, residents should ask to see a city of Newcastle Door-to-Door Sales Identification Badge. The employees should wear the identification so it is easily seen.
Meg Andrews, a spokeswoman for CenturyLink, said CenturyLink works with another company to hire door-to-door sales people but, at any time, a resident can ask for the sales person to present specific items to ensure that he or she is an authorized representative.
Andrews said the sales person should be wearing CenturyLink branded clothing, have CenturyLink branded materials for the products or services he or she is selling, have a CenturyLink branded employee badge and have a copy of all necessary business licenses for the area in which he or she is soliciting.
If they do not have a door-to-door sales permit, refer the employees to Newcastle City Hall at 649-4444.
A resident who thinks a person is not a legitimate salesperson contacting them at home should call the city’s nonemergency dispatch line at 206-296-3311.
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