How to Protect Yourself Against Aggressive Solicitors

Photo By Quay DeVoll

ZANESVILLE,Ohio– Homeowners as well as some business owners have been approached by sales people they are calling aggressive.

Soliciting is legal here in Muskingum County. There are some ways you can protect yourself if you suspect something out of the ordinary said Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz.

“You can basically talk through the door. Yell out, who is it. What do you want,” Sheriff Lutz said. “A lot of our citizens don’t even want to hear from solicitors and so if you’re that and you’re yelling out, hey I don’t want anything. I don’t want to buy anything. You’re keeping your door secured. You’re keeping your door locked. It’s a lot safer in that type of environment.”

Lutz said you can place no soliciting signs on your property.

“Those folks should be seeing those if they are in the proper places and should be adhering to them, to where they are not coming on your property. You tell the people to leave and if they don’t leave then obviously we would like for you to call 911. Let us come out and let us deal with it. And if the folks don’t leave when we tell them to leave then they can get arrested for criminal trespassing,” Lutz said.

Lutz stressed how the community is the sheriff office’s eyes and ears.