Census Safety
LAPD Senior Lead Officer Joe Buscaino has sent us some tips regarding the 2010 Census. The timeline for the census is as follows:
MARCH 2010: Census forms are mailed or delivered to households
APRIL 2010: National Census Day—use this day as a point of reference for sending your completed forms back in the mail
APRIL - JULY 2010: Census takers visit households that did not return a form by mail
Here’s what Officer Buscaino has to say:
If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home.**
Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census. REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.
While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.
AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.
Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.
How to Identify a Census Field Representative
If you are visited by someone from the United States Census Bureau, here are some RECOGNITION TIPS to assure the validity of the field representative;
* Must present an ID Badge which contains: photograph of field representative, Department of Commerce watermark, and expiration date.
* Will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the regional office phone number for verification, if asked.
* Will provide you with a letter from the director of the Census Bureau on U.S. Census Bureau letterhead.
* May be carrying a laptop and/or bag with a Census Bureau logo. When in doubt, please call the Los Angeles Regional Office for verification at 1-800-992-3530. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.
