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ROSEVILLE’S ASSISTANT CITY do something, they need to know these details and the violation must be
reported right away while the person is still in the area. What happens a
ATTORNEY JOSEPH SPEAKER lot is people call RPD hours or even a day or two after the incident to
ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT report a violation. Even if you know the name of the business or the
THE NO-SOLICITING MUNI CODE person’s name, if they are no longer in the area, it is difficult if not
impossible for RPD to track the person down. The best thing to do is
(Reprinted with Permission) report it right away to RPD and give a physical description. If RPD can
make contact with the person a few houses down, then they will give them
Everything you need to know about the “No Soliciting Sign” municipal a ticket in the field and get all their contact info to cite them and the
code is addressed in detail by Roseville’s Assistant City Attorney Joseph business they work for.
Speaker. He will explain the differences between commercial solicitors
and politicians who canvass door to door? Read below to find out more. If you have the name of the business, you can always call the business as
well and tell them to stop. It may very well be a training issue and the
business can correct it faster than a citation would.”
As part of “Freedom of Speech” are political campaigners exempt
from the no solicitor’s signage?
SPEAKER: The “no solicitors” signage and Chapter 10.36 of the Do I report it to the Non-Emergency number at 916-774-5000,
Roseville Municipal Code are all aimed at regulating “commercial Option 1, to speak to a live dispatcher? Or, report it online?
speech” (i.e., an activity intended for exchange in the market to earn and SPEAKER: “Feel free to call the RPD Non-Emergency number and
profit or gain). Political activity is considered non-commercial speech report it to the dispatcher. Please do not call 911 or the Emergency line,
and the First Amendment offers greater protections for people who want unless it is a real emergency. You can also report it on the RPD website,
to engage in non-commercial speech. This all means that a “no but that may result in too much time passing between the incident to
solicitors” sign doesn’t really apply to political activity, so a person allow RPD to contact the person in the field. Like I said above, the
engaging in political campaigning isn’t required to bypass your house sooner you report it the better, and often reporting through the website
just because there is a “no solicitors” sign. Political activity and will take longer for most people than a phone call to the non-emergency
solicitation are two different things. line.”

This said, a residential property owner in your neighborhood still has the Are there really any teeth behind the "violators will be prosecuted"
right to exclude anyone they want from their property under trespassing statement?
laws. There is no exemption to this right for political campaigners. So, if SPEAKER: “Yes. I personally have prosecuted these citations. I am
a person does not want political campaigners to come to their door, they asked to prosecute a handful of them each year. Practically, it is a
can put up signage that clearly says so and the person engaging in Municipal Code Administrative Violation, which results in a fine (no
political activity should respect it and not come to the door. criminal penalty or jail time). The DAs Office is not involved. The City of

Roseville ends up fining the person or the business ($100 for first offense,
What constitutes a violation? What if someone repeatedly comes to $200 for second, and $500 for third offense).”
the door? Obviously, I can say, "I have a No Soliciting sign. We are
not interested." SPEAKER: “One thing I want to point out is often times the person
SPEAKER: “For commercial speech (i.e., solicitation intended for going door to door is absolutely unaware of the Municipal Code and that
exchange in the market to earn an economic profit or gain) when they are prohibited from knocking on a door. We deal with calls about
someone has a clearly visible “no solicitors” sign up, nobody should kids who are going door to door for a school or sports fundraiser or
come to the door to try and solicit a sale or exchange of goods or volunteers for some charitable organization. In those situations, RPD
services from them. So, if a door-to-door salesperson is coming to your obviously prefers educating them and warning them over fining them.
door to sell you vacuums and you have a clearly visible “no solicitors” When it is a business who does this for a living or who has been warned
sign, they must move on without leaving materials or knocking on your in the past, there is less leniency, but the officer has discretion in the field
door. They would be violating the Municipal Code if they knock on the to warn rather than to cite.”
door or leave any pamphlets behind. If they keep doing it, they should be
reported.” (See Below)
NOTE: Religious groups and non-profits are only exempt from
registering with the Roseville Police Department.
Who do I report it to? RPD or the company the person represents if Commercial solicitors must register.
a card is left?

SPEAKER: “You can report a violation to RPD, but you need to know Mia Winter, Director, The Neighborhood Watch Team,
either who the person is (name or at least a physical description), or who Keeping our Neighborhood Safe
they work for, and they must still be in the area. For RPD to be able to Nwcoordinator2156@gmail.com

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