PCSO Julie Pardoe from West Mercia Police has advised that the Safer neighbourhood Team has been made aware that a research interviewer from Ipsos, a market research group, will be in the area over the next couple of weeks. They will be attending pre-selected addresses where residents have been notified in advance of the visit – they will NOT be cold calling on anyone. The interviewer should have appropriate identification which they will be able to show anyone requesting to see it.
If you have any concerns about people attending your address, here are some simple but effective measures you can take to minimize risk and to deal with callers at the doorstep. Please share these with any older or vulnerable family, friends or neighbours:
· If someone knocks on your door: check who it is by looking through a window or peep-hole.
· If it’s not someone you know and trust or a business caller who has made a pre-arranged appointment, do NOT open the door. This advice applies whatever uniform the caller appears to be wearing or ID card they are carrying and however urgent their business claims to be.
· Tell unexpected business callers to leave and come back later at an agreed time when you can have someone else with you.
· In the meantime, check their credentials by calling the organisation they claim to represent. Do so by looking up the number in your telephone book rather than using one on any card they might give you as this could simply put you through to an accomplice of a potential offender.
· Report suspicious activity to the police. No matter how small it may seem officer would rather be called to something that turns out to be legitimate than to miss the opportunity to prevent a crime or catch an offender.