Who's there? My family recently experienced an unexpected, late night visit from a uniformed New Canaan Police Officer - who we let in to our home without question. This triggered me in to thinking about answering the door to strangers and what the protocol should be. I contacted Chief of Police, Leon Krolikowski who promptly issued the following reassuring, safety at home advice:
"The majority of the time our New Canaan Officers investigate incidents while in full uniform. If someone comes to your door and says that they are a police officer but are not in full uniform - before you let them in you should ask for a badge and Town issued identification card. If you are at all unsure, don't be afraid to call the police department at 203-594-3500, and confirm that a New Canaan Officer is at you address investigating an incident."
Following is general advice on Answering the Door to Strangers*:
- Never open the door to a stranger. Look out of the peephole first. You can then choose to call out: "Who is there?" leaving the door locked until they answer and can show appropriate ID. Alternatively if you are home alone, you can choose to ignore it.
- Do not let strangers in. If there is an emergency and someone needs to use your phone, call for them.
- Do not be afraid to "interview" the person through the closed, locked door.
- If you are at home alone and an unexpected stranger calls asking for another family member - say they don't want to be disturbed and they will call them when convenient.
- If a visitor won't go away, calmly tell them that you are going to call 9-1-1
- Strangers can be dressed to look official, but may have ulterior motives. Ask them for relevant ID and call their workplace to confirm they should be visiting before letting them in. Do not be afraid to report a suspicious person to local police.