Strangers knocking on the door

From the Minneapolis Police Precinct 2 Update:

The Precinct received two calls this week from relatives of elderly people in the precinct. One of the seniors lives in Prospect Park and the other in Windom Park. In each case, the relative was told that two people dressed in uniforms had knocked on the front door. When the door was answered, the resident was asked if he/she had an emergency. When they answered no, the two parties asked to be let in to use the telephone. At this point, we do not have a clear discription of the uniforms, so it could be a service company, police, or other type of uniform.

And the advice:

* Do not let strangers into your home.
* Install good locks on doors and windows and use them.
* Install peepholes on front and back doors at your eye level. This is especially important if you use a wheelchair.
* Ask for identification from service or delivery people before letting them in to the property. If you're the least bit concerned, call the company to verify.
* Call your crime prevention specialist for a free home security survey to help identify your individual security and safety needs. In the second precinct, the Crime Prevention Specialists are Rick Maas (673-2797) for the area north of Broadway; and Carol Oosterhuis (673-2874) for the area south of Broadway.
* Get involved in your block club. Watchful neighbors who look out for you as well as themselves are a frontline defense against crime.

Just because someone is in a uniform doesn't make them who they say they are.