Sheriff Concerned About Suspicious People in Walton County Neighborhoods

The Walton County Board of Commissioners recently voted to repeal the county ordinance governing door-to-door sales. The ordinance required that anyone selling in the community first had to get a permit and clearance from Planning and Zoning. The process required fingerprinting, a background check and temporary identification badges. So if anyone was seen going door-to-door in the neighborhood, a concerned resident could call in to ensure that they were there for legitimate reasons.

However, after experiencing difficulties with the process, the county decided to end the procedure, something that has raised concerns for Sheriff Joe Chapman.

“Door-to-door sales has always been a concern of mine. Having unknown people entering upon or on people's private property without an invitation opens the door for number of problems,” Chapman said, adding it was at his urging that the county had instituted the door-to-door sales ordinance in the first place. “I'm sure you've heard the stories of strange people or questionable people coming to someone's home, spraying some of liquid or wanting to clean something etc. The ordinance required those people register with the county, get a background check, fingerprints and pay a fee. This was a great tool to stop some illegal activity and prevent crime. I personally have stopped people that, in my opinion, were trying to scam people. When I advised them of the ordinance they, for whatever reason, chose to go to another county to pedal their product.

Chapman said this obviously doesn’t include girl scouts, boy scouts, schools, etc.

“Repealing the ordinance opens the door for these scam artists,” Chapman said. “If the ordinance has been repealed then there is no ordinance to enforce. Generally the Sheriff's Office doesn't enforce county codes or ordinances.”

Chapman said in this case, however, that may be what he will have to do. He is looking into what the Walton County Sheriff’s Office can do to make sure the residents are not left without the necessary safety measures. He said calls from people concerned about suspicious people has already increased in the wake of the burglary attempt in Loganville that resulted in a mother shooting the intruder recently. The repeal of the ordinance is likely to do little to ease their concerns. Chapman said at this time he is not sure what the alternatives are, but acknowledges that anything that WCSO does is likely to place a financial burden on the department.

“With ‘judicial reform,’ sex offender registry and other unfunded mandates from the state, we are already stretched thin,” Chapman said, adding, “No matter how thin we are stretched our commitment is to protect the people of Walton County.”