Early Chief of Police David Mercer reported that his office has recently responded to several calls of salespeople going door-to-door selling cleaning products which has made some residents nervous.  Mercer said that one complainant stated the salesman was asking where elderly people lived.  Early officers located 6 of the individuals selling products and issued citations for violation of city ordinance for not obtaining a permit to sell products door-to-door.

Early city ordinance requires an individual or company to obtain permits from city hall and undergo a short background check before obtaining a permit Mercer said. Recently, the reported individuals were all from the Houston area and their company was based out of Chicago, Illinois.

Joe Roady of Brownwood Development Service said that businesses are required to register and obtain door-to-door sales permits in the Brownwood city limits as well, but no reports of unpermitted salespeople have been reported recently to his knowledge.

“If in the city limits, they should have a permit,” Roady said.  “Citizens could ask for a copy of the permit, and if they cannot provide it, they should be doubly careful.”

Early Police Chief Mercer also reminds area residents to use caution when opening their door to salespeople.

“I want to stress to our residents to be very careful allowing people into your home selling products door to door,” stated Mercer. “While there are reputable companies that conduct business this way, there are also people who are just checking things out and may come back later or just trying to see if anyone is home to take advantage of an unoccupied house.”

Early Police Department encourages everyone to report suspicious people in their neighborhoods so officers can check on it.