The township committee introduced an ordinance to increase fines and punishments for solicitation after incidents in the last few months.
The Mantua Township Committee is taking a tougher stance on illegal solicitations.
An ordinance introduced at the committee’s Aug. 11 meeting will increase fines that have already been established for anyone soliciting without a permit or at a residential home has a visible “Do not knock” sign. The measure is meant to combat a rise in illegal solicitation in Mantua over the past few months.
“To date, at least as of Friday (Aug. 8), we have not had one solicitor file for a permit to solicit legally in Mantua Township,” said Mayor Robert Zimmerman. “I take issue with that, as does the township committee. It’s problematic.
“Corporations are continually and flagrantly violating the ordinance and also the no-knock ordinance, where people have the decals, and they are blatantly just going up and knocking on the doors.”
The fine for such action will be raised to a maximum of $2,000 per offense if the ordinance is adopted. Those with a license who have violated the rules will be subject to a suspension of that license and could have it permanently revoked if there are repeat offenses.
Zimmerman said the new rules will give the police department more “teeth” in handling violations.
“One of the things the police administration had expressed with the enforcement aspect of things is that the corporations are putting young – we’ll say students, college kids – out on the streets to solicit on their behalf,” he explained. “Our police felt as though it wasn’t fair to cite those parties.
“One of the changes to this ordinance will allow our police department to cite the businesses and corporations,” Zimmerman added. “So even though there’s a young person out on the street soliciting on behalf of a business, they can make the determination who the business is and sign a complaint against the corporation.”
Those who witness or experience illegal solicitation are asked to contact the non-emergency police phone number of (856) 589-0911. A “Do not knock” decal application is available at the township clerk’s office or on the Mantua Township website.
“I think Ordinance 5-2025 is one of my new favorites,” noted Committeeman Jack Steen of the solicitation measure, “because I’ve had someone knock on my door just before 9 p.m. the other night. I live on a dark street and it’s a little alarming when someone knocks on our door and you’re not really expecting it.
“Aside from it being annoying, I can see it being a safety issue at one point.”
The committee will vote on the ordinance after a public hearing at its next session on Monday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m.
