Council passes Do Not Knock ordinance

The city of Willowick amended its ordinance regulating canvassers and solicitors to include a no-knock policy..

The city of Willowick amended its ordinance regulating canvassers and solicitors to include a noknock policy to help deal with aggressive or predatory solicitors.

The revised ordinance, which passed unanimously on Dec. 5, allows residents to register with Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council’s Do Not Knock Registry and prevent solicitors from coming to their doors.

“We had a lot of complaints both on social media and to City Hall about aggressive solicitors who knock on the front door and when no one answered would then go to the back door and continue to knock until someone finally answers,” Willowick Mayor Rich Regovich said.

The mayor wanted to put a no-soliciting ordinance in place to protect the city’s elderly residents.

The mayor wanted to put a no-soliciting ordinance in place to protect the city’s elderly residents.

“In today’s society, they get scared when people knock at their doors,” he said. “This gives them the chance to say no or avoid an awkward situation.”

The Block the Knock program is administered through NOPEC at no cost to the city.

Residents can register online at www.blocktheknock.org or by filling out a postage-paid postcard available at City Hall. Once registered, residents are added to registry, typically by the first day of the following month, and receive a “Do Not Knock” window cling to display.

Willowick’s ordinance requires all solicitors to register with the city prior to soliciting. Once they register, they are provided with both a list and a NOPEC link featuring the addresses registered on the Do Not Knock registry.

If they knock on doors at any of the addresses listed, the resident can call the police and if the solicitor is registered with the city, they can be arrested for trespassing, Regovich said.

The mayor said the registry do not apply to nonprofit organizations such as churches or Girl Scouts selling cookies.

“It’s more for the solicitors trying to get money or services or sign people up for something,” he said. “It gives us something to try to help prevent these aggressive or predatory type solicitors.”

To register for the Block the Knock registry or more details, visit www.blocktheknock.org or contact NOPEC customer service at 855-667-3201.