Philadelphia City Council On The Spot: Inside Philadelphia City Council, 24 Jan 2014

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From YouTube: On The Spot: Public Safety Hearing on Criminal Impersonations of Utility Workers

Description

Jan. 24, 2014 -- City Council's Committee on Public Safety held a hearing to discuss and review the policies of utility companies that allow workers to gain access to residents' homes. Public Safety Chairman Curtis Jones, Jr., explains why the City is examining a recent spate of crimes committed by persons who falsely claimed to be utility workers in order to gain access to victims' homes.

Interviewer: Teresa M. Lundy, City Council Media Fellow
Videographer/Editor: Joe Aquino, City Council Media Fellow

A

Sure that the public is aware of this increasingly alarming trend about impersonators coming to the door seeking access to people's homes only to rob them, particularly our seniors, are more vulnerable than others, and we want to find out what the utility companies are doing to legitimately identify their workforce. And so, if we can put our heads together, we can come up with things like 1-800 numbers, or we can come up with apps that might be associated with verification of a legitimate worker entering a constituents home now.

B

Will the seniors be able to have like public meetings or maybe get some type of mailing about this information? Well,.

A

We're going to figure that out find out the best way to disseminate that information. It could come in their utility bills. It could come with a city-sponsored campaign off of channel 64 to be able to say a 1-800 number that you can call to verify. But there's some common-sense tips.

A

If someone doesn't come in a uniform err on the side of caution and don't let them in if you can't identify a utility truck outside that might be a red flag to up give them pause if they cannot produce an ID on that shows that there with a particular company, another red flag, but there's some common-sense things that we can put out in a mailing to inform all citizens, but particularly our most vulnerable, our seniors, to keep them safe.

A