Door-to-door no more

How many times have you read something, or experienced something, and simply exclaimed, “There oughta be a law against that!” Daily? Weekly? Minute to minute?
There is an issue that would do more for Plano residents on a daily basis than almost anything currently bandied before the public. Proposed arts halls are years from reality and intersection overpasses are figments of fertile imaginations. Try this suggestion on for size.
Stop allowing strangers to traipse through a homeowner’s yard and attach unwanted junk mail in the person of advertising fliers on the doorknob. Short of that, make it difficult to allow this violation of a homeowner’s privacy.
There are many reasons to enact such a law and all of them have to do with neighborhood crime and public safety – something that is a daily concern in this city.
To be fair, the City of Plano claims that such a problem is covered. According to Paul Richardson, assistant city attorney, Plano does “regulate” solicitation and handbill distribution “within the parameters allowed by law,” and cites City Code section 11-145.
“Handbill distributors are required to obtain a permit and make certain disclosures regarding themselves and the material they are distributing. It is not legally permissible for the City to ban handbill distribution. However, citizens can prohibit handbill/solicitation on their property and the City can prosecute violations of this prohibition.”
If any of these people actually hold “permits,” I’d be willing to buy unseen swampland in the Sahara Desert. My experience suggests that cheap photo copies by some yard care company, or a pizza or Chinese food joint, are distributed by people who probably misplaced their permits that day, ya think?
Here’s what else Mr. Richardson communicated:
“The first step to prevent solicitation is for the property owner to post notice on their property that soliciting is prohibited. The notice must be at least 3-inches by 4-inches in size bearing the words ‘no solicitation’ or, ‘no handbills,’ or any similar notice that clearly conveys that the conduct is not permitted. The letters on the card shall not be less than 2/3-inches in height. The notice must be posted in a conspicuous place on or near the main entrance to the residence. Persons who properly post their property for no solicitation can file a citizen’s complaint for a violation (by contacting the Municipal Prosecutor’s Office at 972-941-2056). The filing of a citizen’s complaint will require the assistance of the property owner and may include testifying in court.
“In addition, the property owner will need to provide a copy of the materials that are left on their premises.”
That’s fine and dandy if all you want to stop is a lot of litter. But my main concern, and what should be a major concern of other Plano homeowners, is the free access for unwanted surveillance of one’s property by strangers.
As the victim of an unsolved home burglary, I take the issue of who is roaming my neighborhood very seriously. Since the police presence is minimal, at best (it took an hour for Plano police to respond to three calls after initial discovery of the break-in and the possibility of an intruder still existed), it falls to homeowners to do their best to keep the scoundrel hounds “away from the door.”
When a family leaves for vacation, the home-delivered newspaper is usually halted until their return. A pile of unread papers on the lawn is a sign of vacancy. But a similar sign would be a gaggle of unread fliers on the doorknob and there is no one to call to prevent that (the City won’t really do anything to stop it). It is a public safety issue; not free speech. There exist many avenues to get the advertising message to the consumer without having to resort to such an intrusive method.
Robbery is one thing; items can be replaced. But no one knows who these people are and what they are up to. Possible crimes could include assault, rape and … worse. It is impossible to watch every inch of each street 24/7 but a little help from the City can go a long way in crime prevention.
The City of Plano believes its hands are tied (yet can still outlaw intersection solicitation-sales for public safety reasons). Then it should require (by statute) that all printed front door property solicitations contain that permit number and full disclosure of address of the business and/or company responsible for the distribution. All persons physically engaged in placement of these solicitations should be required to openly display the permits while working and they should be registered with the City of Plano Police Department prior to “canvassing” neighborhoods.
If the Plano City Council and municipal officials REALLY want to do something that would make a difference in people’s everyday lives, the change this particular law to be in favor of the homeowner, not against us. The burden should fall upon the intruders, not the taxpayers.