When to call 911: It's not just for emergencies
During the past week, two young men in their late teens or early 20s were seen along Tanager, Warbler and Bittern going door-to-door soliciting money for their "soccer team fundraiser." It's possible they were elsewhere in the neighborhood and may have other companions.
While such efforts aren't uncommon this time of year, neighbors who interacted with the pair could tell they were anything but soccer players. They weren't wearing any official gear, didn't offer any club affiliation or team, were dressed in beat up clothes, had large tattoos on their forearms (not that anything is wrong with that; simply noted for descriptive purposes) and looked a bit rough. One young man had a medium build with blond hair and was carrying a small leather binder, the other was thinner and had dark hair. Both were uneasy and defensive when questioned.
Based on the pair's body language and the way they approached each house, a neighbor who watched the pair make their way down a street suspected they might be casing the neighborhood looking for empty homes, or at the least, a handout for their "soccer team fundraiser." The neighbor decided to act.
He called 911. Within 10 minutes two patrol cars rolled through the neighborhood, and minutes later found the pair, stopped them and reminded them that Eagle Nest is a non-soliciting neighborhood.
The message here? Call 911 whenever you see something suspicious -- the number isn't just for emergencies. There's no guarantee that police will respond as quickly as they did in the "soccer fundraiser" case, but it's better to be safe than sorry. 911 dispatchers prioritize their calls, focusing first on emergencies; all other non-emergency calls usually are handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
So, remember: If you see something, say something. Call 911. After that, call any Board member and report the incident so we can put it on the blog to update other neighbors.
Click here for a previous blog posting about tips for handling solicitors.
-- Submitted by Scott Thien
While such efforts aren't uncommon this time of year, neighbors who interacted with the pair could tell they were anything but soccer players. They weren't wearing any official gear, didn't offer any club affiliation or team, were dressed in beat up clothes, had large tattoos on their forearms (not that anything is wrong with that; simply noted for descriptive purposes) and looked a bit rough. One young man had a medium build with blond hair and was carrying a small leather binder, the other was thinner and had dark hair. Both were uneasy and defensive when questioned.
Based on the pair's body language and the way they approached each house, a neighbor who watched the pair make their way down a street suspected they might be casing the neighborhood looking for empty homes, or at the least, a handout for their "soccer team fundraiser." The neighbor decided to act.
He called 911. Within 10 minutes two patrol cars rolled through the neighborhood, and minutes later found the pair, stopped them and reminded them that Eagle Nest is a non-soliciting neighborhood.
The message here? Call 911 whenever you see something suspicious -- the number isn't just for emergencies. There's no guarantee that police will respond as quickly as they did in the "soccer fundraiser" case, but it's better to be safe than sorry. 911 dispatchers prioritize their calls, focusing first on emergencies; all other non-emergency calls usually are handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
So, remember: If you see something, say something. Call 911. After that, call any Board member and report the incident so we can put it on the blog to update other neighbors.
Click here for a previous blog posting about tips for handling solicitors.
-- Submitted by Scott Thien
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