Anyone soliciting any service or item door-to-door in Bossier Parish must now end those activities by 6 p.m. each day, following a Wednesday vote by the Bossier Parish Police Jury.
Members voted unanimously to amend Chapter 86, Section 86-2 of the parish Code of Ordinances governing “solicitation upon private residence, going door-to-door and/or street-to-street,” adding the curfew designation. Chapter 86 of the parish code was amended to include solicitation in August, 2013.
Parish Attorney Patrick Jackson said the new amendment, which will go into effect immediately, was necessary due to the large number of complaints his office had received about door-to-door solicitors for a local cable provider. He said company salespersons were knocking on doors as late as 8 p.m.
“Under the original ordinance we put together a few years ago, there are special regulations dealing with utilities,” he told jury members. “We didn’t want them having to get a permit if they’re dealing with customers. Apparently, Sudden Link is taking a different path and decided to start going door-to-door.”
Jackson said utilities, including cable companies, are specifically exempted under the current ordinance, “…and that’s the problem. This (amendment) would apply to anyone doing door-to-door solicitation. Whether they need a peddler’s license or not, it all has to stop at 6 p.m.”
Jury member Jimmy Cochran, who made the motion to amend the ordinance to include the curfew, said some of the language in the current law leads solicitors to believe they can stay on the job until 8 p.m.
“I think our intention from the beginning was there would be a curfew for everyone,” he said. “I would like to see the 6 o’clock implemented immediately.
