ANNEX

Milton Keynes Council

No Cold Calling Zones

Policy

Community Protection - Trading Standards December 2008

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Contents Page

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Introduction and purpose

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Objectives

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Procedures

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Evaluation

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Appendices

Appendix A

Example of proposed street signs

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Appendix B Appendix C

OFT letter of advice following Counsel’s opinion Stickers

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3

Introduction and Purpose

Doorstep crime arises from doorstep callers selling goods or offering property repairs, bogus officials and distraction burglars. It is now well established that distraction burglaries and rogue trading are all too often interlinked. The seemingly innocent doorstep seller is actually checking things out for a re-visit to carry out a burglary or distraction burglary. The number of serious doorstep crime incidents reported to both the police and trading standards services has grown significantly over the past few years. However, often these are not reported as the victims fear the consequences of reporting such incidents to their families or the authorities. Incidents involving older people losing thousands of pounds are not unusual and what has become clear is that the response and support mechanisms of enforcement agencies have not kept pace with the skills and organisation of the criminals. A national Trading Standards Institute survey involved feedback from 9,000 randomly selected households. The results showed that nationally, 96% of people simply did not want doorstep cold-callers and nobody actually welcomed them. The proposal is to set up a number of ‘No Cold Calling’ zones in carefully selected areas which will ensure vulnerable properties can be better protected. It will provide the opportunity to educate citizens and reduce the fear of crime for the individuals concerned. It will also provide an opportunity for partner agencies to gather intelligence on traders who are working in the area. Objectives No cold calling zones will be set up in those areas identified as being suitable, based on trading standards and police data or areas of local need identified by partner agencies such as Neighbourhood Watch, Neighbourhood Action Groups and local parish/town councils. The support of partner organisations and community groups are essential to the success of this initiative. Local councils are required by law to consider community safety issues in relation to everything that they do and as such, no cold calling zones are a positive step towards empowering the community to say no to bogus callers. Cold calling control zones set up previously will be re-named and re-launched as no cold calling zones. Procedures Ideally, the area chosen as a no cold calling zone should be relatively small (20-40 properties) and easily defined by its boundary, e.g., a street, small estate or a neighbourhood watch area. The most important thing is the initiative has the support of local residents. How this is achieved will depend on the local situation, but consultation with residents is a vital first step, not only to get consent from 100% of those involved, but also to raise awareness of the issues and encourage community involvement.

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Fundamental to the success of the scheme will be to mark the area’s boundaries with signs which clearly say that it is a no cold calling area. These signs will be fixed to a lamp-post or other suitable street furniture. An essential part of the scheme is to educate local residents about how to deal with cold callers, to give them the confidence to say “NO”, and direct the cold caller out of the area. We will be providing residents within the zone with individual stickers they can place on their front doors or windows, informing callers they do not buy from doorstep sellers. The advantage of this is that it is less confrontational and does not need anything to be said. The ‘window cling’ is double sided so the part of the sticker visible to the house holder will show a telephone number where they can contact Consumer Direct to pass on information about callers in their area and receive reassurance from a trained advisor. Information gathered in this way can be used for intelligence purposes by the police and trading standards. The zones will be overseen and administered by trading standards but the impetus in setting up and maintaining the zones should come from the communities themselves, with positive assistance from partner agencies. We will ensure that each resident in the street is made aware of the proposal, understands and agrees to it. This agreement does not need to be in writing, merely that any objections are recorded and dealt with appropriately. It will be an extremely rare occasion where a resident insists on a zone not going ahead but we cannot take away their right to receive cold callers so the zone would have to be dropped if they were adamant. We will think strategically about where to put the signs for maximum effect, the perception of increased surveillance will make traders think before knocking on doors in the area, so the impact of the signs is vital. We will ensure the correct permission is sought to put up the signs and that they comply with all relevant legal requirements. Each zone will need to be authorised by the Chief Community Protection Officer once he agrees all criteria have been met. Action on reported activity When a call comes in to say a trader is cold calling in a zone, trading standards officers will rapidly respond if there are any concerns regarding who that trader is or what they are trying to buy or sell. This will increase our intelligence potential should burglaries be reported in the future and demonstrate to resident that we take the issue seriously. All intelligence gathered will be shared with partner enforcement agencies in the interests of preventing crime. Evaluation Initially three zones will be set up consisting to 20 to 40 properties in each. The location of these zones will need to be decided from a list of applicants and priorities according to the vulnerability of the residents. After three months we will evaluate the impact of the zones by contacting each resident individually, gathering narrative views of the impact on the individual and the community and matching it to data regarding distraction burglaries and rogue trader activity within the zones. Reports will be shared with partner agencies.

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Appendices Appendix A – example of no cold calling zone sign (Colour, 1 page) Appendix B – OFT letter of support Appendix C – Window stickers

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

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DOORSTEP

SELLERS

BEWARE!

We will not buy from you!

And we do not require any free advice

APPENDIX C

SAY NO TO DOORSTEP CALLERS

Don’t be a victim

Display this window/door sticker

to stop unwanted callers

FREE - Please take one

If you are cold called let us know

Call 08454 04 05 06

SAY NO TO DOORSTEP CALLERS

Don’t be a victim