New Castle Creates 'Do Not Knock' List

New Castle has undertaken a new initiative, known as the “Do Not Knock” list, and you can sign up online.

Its aim is to provide residents relief from unwanted disruptions at home. Once residents sign up for the “Do Not Knock” list, commercial solicitors and peddlers will be prohibited from coming to their door.

This will not stop everything. Door-to-door canvassing by religious, political and certain charitable organizations is protected under the First Amendment and not subject to the town’s Do Not Knock rules.

There are two ways in which peddlers and solicitors will be provided notice of the “Do Not Knock” list. First, every registrant under the New Castle Town Code will be issued a copy of the then-current “Do Not Knock” list simultaneously with the registration certificate issued by the Chief of Police. In addition, residents can place a 6” x 6” decal near their front door that states “Knock It Off, Please - No Solicitation Here”. Decals will be available, during regular business hours, at Town Hall. Residents must be signed up on the “Do Not Knock” list prior to receiving a decal.

The Town’s website provides additional information about the “Do Not Knock” program in a Frequently Asked Questions section.

“Residents spoke and we listened. At the request of residents, we created a Do Not Knock registry,” New Castle Supervisor Rob Greenstein said in a prepared statement. ”Our residents work hard, and they deserve to enjoy their homes free from unwanted and annoying disturbances,”

“Enforcement will be primarily through complaints or calls to the Police Department by residents who have been wrongly disturbed by peddlers or solicitors in violation of the local law,“ said Chief Charles Ferry. “The police will respond accordingly to such calls or complaints. I am hopeful that the Town’s ‘Do Not Knock’ program will help stop unwelcome disruptions.”

Any person violating the terms of the Do Not Knock law may be charged under the local law. Upon conviction in the Justice Court of the Town of New Castle, violators will be subject to a fine not to exceed $250 or to imprisonment not exceeding 15 days, or both, at the discretion of the Justice Court.