The Gainesville Police Department is warning residents to be wary of door-to-door solicitors who without authorization use the department’s name to acquire quick cash.

“We want to make our citizens aware of what’s going on, so when they are approached by illegal solicitors, they know what to do,” police spokesman Cpl. Joe Britte said. “What (the solicitors are) doing is basically going door-to-door saying they are members of Gainesville police or the Fraternal Order of Police and soliciting money for whatever made-up, imaginary fundraiser.”

Britte stressed the proper legal parameters an authorized solicitor would have.

“First of all, they would present some sort of credential. In order for you to go door-to-door, you would have to get with our business license office and apply for that service, the city of Gainesville city business office, to verify if the permit is legitimate,” Britte said.

Furthermore he said, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone.

“You need to call us, the community relations unit, office of major or administrative assistant to the chief, to verify if they are soliciting for a legitimate program,” Britte said.

And the department does partner with legitimate soliciting organizations.

“We have programs that we set up with law publications. They go around and solicit on our behalf drug booklets and literature for school, safety booklets — they are legit. They come to the police department and receive a letter from the chief, which verifies their credentials.”

If caught unauthorized, however, an individual could be charged with fraud.
Why the deception? Money, of course.

“They’re out there doing this mainly for money,” he said.

People’s compassion for the cause can be problematic, Britte said.

“We do have a lot of business owners that truly will give anything they have to local law enforcement, GPD, GSP, because their heart falls with law enforcement, which is awesome, which is great, but we don’t want our citizens being taken advantage of,” Britte said.

A group that often is taken advantage of are the older folks.

“If you look at statistics, our elderly are our No. 1 target, not just for door-to-door, but for scams and cons, because you would look at the population first because they’re so giving and willing to help out in any way possible,” he said. “So a person seeking money illegally may go to a person’s house who is more elder, and say, ‘Hey, we’re trying to raise money for kids.’”

For Britte, preventing this sort of abuse is near and dear to his home and heart.

“I use my mom as an example. She constantly donates to the Fraternal Order of Police, but I had to stop her the other day from doing that because she wasn’t really checking the legitimacy of people soliciting from her,” Britte said. “You know, her son has been an officer for 18 years, and my mom is 77. She’ll give in a heartbeat.”
Britte’s mother lives in Rhode Island.

“I had to intervene and say, ‘Hold on one second; instead of sending a check and putting a sticker saying you support the FOP on your door, just donate directly to the local department,’” he said.

People with a desire to give to the GPD can call Britte or Cpl. Kevin Holbrook in the department’s crime prevention unit.

Charitable contributions to the department are managed by the North Georgia Community Foundation, a tax-exempt, nonprofit agency.