If you see a stranger lingering outside your home, take a second look before you grab the phone to call the police.
Nearly 5,000 U.S. Census Bureau employees are roaming the streets of North Carolina building the address list for the 2010 Census.
“We’re just trying to update our address list for the mailing of the census forms in February and March of 2010,” Eastern N.C. Census Bureau manager John McEwen said.
In an effort to keep both census employees and the public safe, the Census Bureau is reminding residents that workers will be wearing an official identification badge and using handheld computers to capture GPS information and to verify addresses.
Census workers do not have uniforms or any type of dress code.
“We don’t issue any kind of jackets, shirts or anything like that,” Tony Jones, U.S. Census Bureau regional media relations director, said. “We emphasize more casual and comfortable clothing because a lot of that field work requires people to be on their feet.”
McEwen said most workers have a sign affixed to their window or back windshield of their vehicles that states “U.S. Census Worker.” Some workers might also carry black workbags with the same words.
“Anyone who is worried about someone gazing at his house or knocking at her door should ask for identification,” William Hatcher, regional director in the Charlotte Regional Census Center, said. “You can ask for the address lister’s name and the phone number of the local census office to call and verify employment.
“We want residents to feel safe so that census workers can safely do their jobs.”
Other than letting the public know what to look for when it comes to census workers, workers have to take precautions to attend to their own well-being.
“Safety is a lot of common sense stuff,” Fred Van Winkle, a local quality control crew leader for the Census Bureau, said. “When (workers) are walking up to various homes, they are to be aware of their surroundings, dogs and no trespassing signs.”
The address canvassing process began in North Carolina on April 6 and is expected to run through mid-July.
Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro and Greenville each have a local census office to supervise the current address canvassing operation. Ten more local census offices are expected to open this year to support 2010 census operations.
“This is all just prep work for next year’s census,” Van Winkle said. “This is laying the groundwork.
Source: Asheville Citizen Times
