ion_avenger
11-30-2009, 03:50 PM
Be smart if you're going door to door trying to sell water equipment - What a moron!
http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/bergen_town_news/112409_Police_Man_was_not_impersonating_Wallington _borough_worker.html
Police: Man was not impersonating Wallington borough worker
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
BY SAMANTHA TYRKA
A 20-year-old man, who was thought to be impersonating a Wallington borough worker to obtain access to water meters and faucets in homes, has been cleared after he called police headquarters to explain the situation.
On Nov. 19, an elderly resident of Miller Street reported that a man tried to gain access to his home, stating he wanted to test his water for lead content. The 20-year-old Wallington resident, whose name police would not release, was insistent, but the elderly man demanded to see paperwork that would identify him as a borough employee before letting him in, according to Capt. Stanley Kisala of the Wallington Police Department. The incident was caught on a surveillance camera mounted near the door of the home and officers circulated a photo of the man.
“The guy (elderly man) at the house asked to see the paperwork that the guy (the 20-year-old) was holding because he had a clipboard, but the individual refused to show the paperwork and said it was his only copy. When the person at the house said he was not the homeowner the guy left quickly after looking at the camera,” Kisala said.
Police originally believed the man was impersonating a borough worker, but on Nov. 22, Officer Dave Norris, who was heading the investigation, received a call at headquarters from a man who said he was the person whose photo was caught on the surveillance tape. He stated he saw the photo in The Record and that he worked for a water company located in Bloomfield and was soliciting business by going door-to-door to offer free samples of filtered water, according to Kisala.
“He was a little perturbed because he claimed he was a legitimate businessman and not a criminal. He didn’t give the officer his name, but did say he lives in Wallington and that he does work for a water company and the water company sent the homeowner a letter and he was following up on the letter,” Kisala said.
Norris asked the man if he had permission from the borough to solicit and he informed the officer he didn’t. Norris told the man to come to headquarters so that the situation could be resolved but the man said he didn’t drive and that he was too busy, according to Kisala.
The officers were able to determine where the man was calling from, but the homeowner at the number the man used had no knowledge of the incident. The homeowner’s son stated it was his friend who made the call. The officers instructed the homeowner’s son to tell his friend to go to headquarters.
On Nov. 23, the 20-year-old went to headquarters and spoke with Norris and provided proof that he is an employee of a water company in Bloomfield that sells water purification filters door-to-door. He explained that he used tax records of the area to construct a list of possible clients, according to Kisala. He also told the officer that as part of a sales technique he provides samples of water and checks the chlorine content of the home’s water supply before making an appointment for a full demonstration, according to Kisala.
“He showed the officer his paperwork that he worked for this company and gave him the business card of his boss,” Kisala said. “The officer contacted the boss and he confirmed that he (the 20-year-old man) was a new employee, basically two weeks on the job. The boss also explained that employees are advised to contact the local government to obtain any necessary permits, but his boss said he may have missed that part of the seminar,” Kisala.
No charges were filed against the man. The officers were diligent because con artists often use impersonation of borough employees as a tactic to gain entrance into a home, according to Kisala.
“It is a type of ruse that a lot of towns have seen where people are posing as water inspectors, but this guy turned out to be legitimate with no criminal record. Had he had burglary convictions it would have been another thing. We would have looked a little deeper into this. It turns out it was a legitimate business and he just didn’t go through the proper channels of getting the approval to go soliciting,” Kisala said.
E-mail: tyrka@northjersey.com
A 20-year-old man, who was thought to be impersonating a Wallington borough worker to obtain access to water meters and faucets in homes, has been cleared after he called police headquarters to explain the situation.
On Nov. 19, an elderly resident of Miller Street reported that a man tried to gain access to his home, stating he wanted to test his water for lead content. The 20-year-old Wallington resident, whose name police would not release, was insistent, but the elderly man demanded to see paperwork that would identify him as a borough employee before letting him in, according to Capt. Stanley Kisala of the Wallington Police Department. The incident was caught on a surveillance camera mounted near the door of the home and officers circulated a photo of the man.
“The guy (elderly man) at the house asked to see the paperwork that the guy (the 20-year-old) was holding because he had a clipboard, but the individual refused to show the paperwork and said it was his only copy. When the person at the house said he was not the homeowner the guy left quickly after looking at the camera,” Kisala said.
Police originally believed the man was impersonating a borough worker, but on Nov. 22, Officer Dave Norris, who was heading the investigation, received a call at headquarters from a man who said he was the person whose photo was caught on the surveillance tape. He stated he saw the photo in The Record and that he worked for a water company located in Bloomfield and was soliciting business by going door-to-door to offer free samples of filtered water, according to Kisala.
“He was a little perturbed because he claimed he was a legitimate businessman and not a criminal. He didn’t give the officer his name, but did say he lives in Wallington and that he does work for a water company and the water company sent the homeowner a letter and he was following up on the letter,” Kisala said.
Norris asked the man if he had permission from the borough to solicit and he informed the officer he didn’t. Norris told the man to come to headquarters so that the situation could be resolved but the man said he didn’t drive and that he was too busy, according to Kisala.
The officers were able to determine where the man was calling from, but the homeowner at the number the man used had no knowledge of the incident. The homeowner’s son stated it was his friend who made the call. The officers instructed the homeowner’s son to tell his friend to go to headquarters.
On Nov. 23, the 20-year-old went to headquarters and spoke with Norris and provided proof that he is an employee of a water company in Bloomfield that sells water purification filters door-to-door. He explained that he used tax records of the area to construct a list of possible clients, according to Kisala. He also told the officer that as part of a sales technique he provides samples of water and checks the chlorine content of the home’s water supply before making an appointment for a full demonstration, according to Kisala.
“He showed the officer his paperwork that he worked for this company and gave him the business card of his boss,” Kisala said. “The officer contacted the boss and he confirmed that he (the 20-year-old man) was a new employee, basically two weeks on the job. The boss also explained that employees are advised to contact the local government to obtain any necessary permits, but his boss said he may have missed that part of the seminar,” Kisala.
No charges were filed against the man. The officers were diligent because con artists often use impersonation of borough employees as a tactic to gain entrance into a home, according to Kisala.
“It is a type of ruse that a lot of towns have seen where people are posing as water inspectors, but this guy turned out to be legitimate with no criminal record. Had he had burglary convictions it would have been another thing. We would have looked a little deeper into this. It turns out it was a legitimate business and he just didn’t go through the proper channels of getting the approval to go soliciting,” Kisala said.
E-mail: tyrka@northjersey.com
http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/bergen_town_news/112409_Police_Man_was_not_impersonating_Wallington _borough_worker.html
http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/bergen_town_news/112409_Police_Man_was_not_impersonating_Wallington _borough_worker.html
Police: Man was not impersonating Wallington borough worker
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
BY SAMANTHA TYRKA
A 20-year-old man, who was thought to be impersonating a Wallington borough worker to obtain access to water meters and faucets in homes, has been cleared after he called police headquarters to explain the situation.
On Nov. 19, an elderly resident of Miller Street reported that a man tried to gain access to his home, stating he wanted to test his water for lead content. The 20-year-old Wallington resident, whose name police would not release, was insistent, but the elderly man demanded to see paperwork that would identify him as a borough employee before letting him in, according to Capt. Stanley Kisala of the Wallington Police Department. The incident was caught on a surveillance camera mounted near the door of the home and officers circulated a photo of the man.
“The guy (elderly man) at the house asked to see the paperwork that the guy (the 20-year-old) was holding because he had a clipboard, but the individual refused to show the paperwork and said it was his only copy. When the person at the house said he was not the homeowner the guy left quickly after looking at the camera,” Kisala said.
Police originally believed the man was impersonating a borough worker, but on Nov. 22, Officer Dave Norris, who was heading the investigation, received a call at headquarters from a man who said he was the person whose photo was caught on the surveillance tape. He stated he saw the photo in The Record and that he worked for a water company located in Bloomfield and was soliciting business by going door-to-door to offer free samples of filtered water, according to Kisala.
“He was a little perturbed because he claimed he was a legitimate businessman and not a criminal. He didn’t give the officer his name, but did say he lives in Wallington and that he does work for a water company and the water company sent the homeowner a letter and he was following up on the letter,” Kisala said.
Norris asked the man if he had permission from the borough to solicit and he informed the officer he didn’t. Norris told the man to come to headquarters so that the situation could be resolved but the man said he didn’t drive and that he was too busy, according to Kisala.
The officers were able to determine where the man was calling from, but the homeowner at the number the man used had no knowledge of the incident. The homeowner’s son stated it was his friend who made the call. The officers instructed the homeowner’s son to tell his friend to go to headquarters.
On Nov. 23, the 20-year-old went to headquarters and spoke with Norris and provided proof that he is an employee of a water company in Bloomfield that sells water purification filters door-to-door. He explained that he used tax records of the area to construct a list of possible clients, according to Kisala. He also told the officer that as part of a sales technique he provides samples of water and checks the chlorine content of the home’s water supply before making an appointment for a full demonstration, according to Kisala.
“He showed the officer his paperwork that he worked for this company and gave him the business card of his boss,” Kisala said. “The officer contacted the boss and he confirmed that he (the 20-year-old man) was a new employee, basically two weeks on the job. The boss also explained that employees are advised to contact the local government to obtain any necessary permits, but his boss said he may have missed that part of the seminar,” Kisala.
No charges were filed against the man. The officers were diligent because con artists often use impersonation of borough employees as a tactic to gain entrance into a home, according to Kisala.
“It is a type of ruse that a lot of towns have seen where people are posing as water inspectors, but this guy turned out to be legitimate with no criminal record. Had he had burglary convictions it would have been another thing. We would have looked a little deeper into this. It turns out it was a legitimate business and he just didn’t go through the proper channels of getting the approval to go soliciting,” Kisala said.
E-mail: tyrka@northjersey.com
A 20-year-old man, who was thought to be impersonating a Wallington borough worker to obtain access to water meters and faucets in homes, has been cleared after he called police headquarters to explain the situation.
On Nov. 19, an elderly resident of Miller Street reported that a man tried to gain access to his home, stating he wanted to test his water for lead content. The 20-year-old Wallington resident, whose name police would not release, was insistent, but the elderly man demanded to see paperwork that would identify him as a borough employee before letting him in, according to Capt. Stanley Kisala of the Wallington Police Department. The incident was caught on a surveillance camera mounted near the door of the home and officers circulated a photo of the man.
“The guy (elderly man) at the house asked to see the paperwork that the guy (the 20-year-old) was holding because he had a clipboard, but the individual refused to show the paperwork and said it was his only copy. When the person at the house said he was not the homeowner the guy left quickly after looking at the camera,” Kisala said.
Police originally believed the man was impersonating a borough worker, but on Nov. 22, Officer Dave Norris, who was heading the investigation, received a call at headquarters from a man who said he was the person whose photo was caught on the surveillance tape. He stated he saw the photo in The Record and that he worked for a water company located in Bloomfield and was soliciting business by going door-to-door to offer free samples of filtered water, according to Kisala.
“He was a little perturbed because he claimed he was a legitimate businessman and not a criminal. He didn’t give the officer his name, but did say he lives in Wallington and that he does work for a water company and the water company sent the homeowner a letter and he was following up on the letter,” Kisala said.
Norris asked the man if he had permission from the borough to solicit and he informed the officer he didn’t. Norris told the man to come to headquarters so that the situation could be resolved but the man said he didn’t drive and that he was too busy, according to Kisala.
The officers were able to determine where the man was calling from, but the homeowner at the number the man used had no knowledge of the incident. The homeowner’s son stated it was his friend who made the call. The officers instructed the homeowner’s son to tell his friend to go to headquarters.
On Nov. 23, the 20-year-old went to headquarters and spoke with Norris and provided proof that he is an employee of a water company in Bloomfield that sells water purification filters door-to-door. He explained that he used tax records of the area to construct a list of possible clients, according to Kisala. He also told the officer that as part of a sales technique he provides samples of water and checks the chlorine content of the home’s water supply before making an appointment for a full demonstration, according to Kisala.
“He showed the officer his paperwork that he worked for this company and gave him the business card of his boss,” Kisala said. “The officer contacted the boss and he confirmed that he (the 20-year-old man) was a new employee, basically two weeks on the job. The boss also explained that employees are advised to contact the local government to obtain any necessary permits, but his boss said he may have missed that part of the seminar,” Kisala.
No charges were filed against the man. The officers were diligent because con artists often use impersonation of borough employees as a tactic to gain entrance into a home, according to Kisala.
“It is a type of ruse that a lot of towns have seen where people are posing as water inspectors, but this guy turned out to be legitimate with no criminal record. Had he had burglary convictions it would have been another thing. We would have looked a little deeper into this. It turns out it was a legitimate business and he just didn’t go through the proper channels of getting the approval to go soliciting,” Kisala said.
E-mail: tyrka@northjersey.com
http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/bergen_town_news/112409_Police_Man_was_not_impersonating_Wallington _borough_worker.html