Public Is Urged to Report Phony Police Solicitors
Telephone solicitors claiming to represent the Police Department and asking for money to combat drugs should be reported to police, authorities said.
Lt. Ed McErlain, a Police Department spokesman, said in a press release that “neither the Huntington Beach Police Department nor any of its employee associations participate in any type of residential telephone solicitations.”
McErlain said anyone getting such a call should ask for a telephone number and call the Police Department to report it.
McErlain said the calls usually start with questions such as, “Do you support local law enforcement?” or “Do you believe that we need to do more to combat the current drug problem?”
The solicitor then asks that a donation be left on a doorstep or mailed, he said.
In cases when a person does not want to contribute, the solicitor often gets verbally abusive, McErlain said.
McErlain said anyone getting such a call can report it to (714) 960-8811.
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