Photo courtesy of The Times Reporter: Tuscarawas County Sheriff Chief Deputy Orvis Campbell

By Chief Deputy Orvis Campbell

An alert citizen can make a difference by reporting suspicious activity to our office. It is that simple. Too often, we find that citizens were reluctant to call beforehand because they did not wish to bother our deputies with uncertain or sketchy information. From burglaries to vandalism, we want our citizens to play a proactive role in our community and help us prevent these types of crimes. So if you see suspicious activity of any kind, please do not hesitate to call (330)339-2000. If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1. Better to be safe than sorry.

With summer quickly approaching, door-to-door scams will be on the rise. A few examples are as follows:

– A contractor who drives-by and notices that you could use a little work on your roof, siding, etc. Nomadic work crews travel in summer and are often drawn to areas that have suffered storm damage.

– A paving company that just happens to have a bit of extra asphalt on the truck and will cut you a deal to resurface your driveway.

– The magazine subscription seller who is going door-to-door to help pay college tuition, supplement a military salary, or collecting for a charity.

Scam artists will use various tactics to make their pitches sound believable. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure the contractor, charity, or other organization is legitimate before acting. If you believe you have been a victim of a scam, please contact our office for assistance.

Originally published in the Summer 2014 Newsletter