Mt. Prospect cracks down on street corner solicitations
There are two types of street corner solicitors, according to Mount Prospect Police Chief John Dahlberg.
The first are volunteers who wave "Lions Club" signs and sell hard candy once a year. The second group are people paid to collect as much money as possible for homeless shelters in Chicago. Sometimes they wear faded vests and bang on drivers' windows asking for money.
After an increasing number of complaints about the second group, Mount Prospect has limited the number of times nonprofit groups can return to village intersections each year.
Previously, groups could fundraise on village corners up to four times a year, each time spending up to four days there soliciting money, Dahlberg said. Now, they can solicit only once a year, for two-four days.
"We've been getting a lot of complaints from residents about people knocking on car windows or making the motion for drivers to roll down their windows," Dahlberg said. "Most legitimate groups don't do this but there are a couple that are overrepresented on the roadways."
The village board unanimously approved the change on Tuesday. Mount Prospect first limited street solicitations to four per year in 2004. Before that, solicitors could ask for money "pretty much at will," Dahlberg said.
Each municipality makes its own rules when it comes to street solicitation. In Arlington Heights, people can get a permit once a year that lasts 90 days, said Capt. Nick Pecora.
"However, the village manager can revoke that permit at any time," Pecora said.
In Rolling Meadows, the village banned street solicitors from major intersections like Golf and Algonquin roads, and Euclid and Plum Grove roads, said Sgt. Tony Gaspari of the Rolling Meadows Police Department.
For the most part that rule keeps solicitors out of Rolling Meadows. But they get pretty close.
"The intersection of Golf and Algonquin roads is split between us and Arlington Heights," Gaspari said. "We see them on the Arlington Heights side all the time. All we do is control our side of the street."
One of the well-known local groups that uses this method to raise money is the Mount Prospect Lions Club, which raises about $6,000 a year through Candy Days. The event is typically held over one weekend in October, said Fred Steinmiller, a past president.
"I don't think people have a problem with what we do," Steinmiller said. "We wear our vests, our candy has 'Lions Club' printed on it and it's very clear what we're doing. But some groups go to Sam's Club or Costco, sell that candy and people don't even know what it's for."
People soliciting money from drivers don't have to identify who they are raising money for, but they must wear brightly colored clothing, Dahlberg said.
Like most villages, Mount Prospect makes sure each group has insurance and checks with the Secretary of State to make sure they are a registered nonprofit.
About eight to 10 permits are issued each year, said Village Clerk M. Lisa Angell.