The alert wife of a Salisbury Township commissioner has brought to light the need for vigilance concerning door-to-door solicitation.

Sue Martucci, wife of Salisbury Township Commissioner Robert Martucci, Jr., questioned the identity of a salesman who was knocking on doors in their neighborhood, attempting to get electric utility customers to switch providers.

The salesman showed up last month at the door of the Martuccis' home.

The man took out a notebook and asked the Martuccis for their electricity service account number.

"'How do I know who you say you are?'" Sue Martucci recalls asking the man.

"'Even the police know who I am,'" she says the man replied.

It was a case of right township, wrong county.

The salesman, who was said to be representing Direct Energy Services, LLC had a solicitation permit from that other Salisbury Township in Pennsylvania: Salisbury Township, Lancaster County.

The salesman repeated the name of a township zoning officer.

"There's no zoning officer by that name in [Salisbury Township]," Robert Martucci said he told the man.

When Robert Martucci brought the matter up at the March 13 township meeting, Salisbury Township Manager Randy Soriano observed, "The solicitor may not have known where he was because the address says Salisbury."

Noted Salisbury Township Police Chief Allen W. Stiles, "Politicians and religious organizations are exempt.

"A lot of politicians do let the police know," Stiles said.

"As a homeowner, you can reject the solicitation and call the police," Soriano said.

The township ordinance requires a resident have a "No Soliciting" sign posted. The solicitor must disobey the sign before the person can be cited by police.

"I urge the public to contact us at anytime. You are not bothering us," Stiles said.

The police department non-emergency number is 610-437-5252.

Stiles said one solicitation permit was issued in 2012, none in 2013 and none so far this year.

"We've only had one [solicitation permit] since the new ordinance," Stiles said.

According to the township solicitation ordinance, which was updated and adopted in 2011, a fine of up to $600, plus court and administrative costs could be imposed if a person is convicted before a magistrate of violating the ordinance.

"We updated that when all the storm contractors were coming around," Martucci said.

Salisbury requires those soliciting in the township must apply for a $50 Peddling and Solicitation Permit at the Salisbury Township Municipal Building, 2900 S. Pike Ave. The applicant must provide two forms of identification.

The application is then reviewed by the Salisbury Township Police Department. If approved, the applicant is issued a permit, which must be carried while soliciting.

An example of the solicitation permit and ordinance can be viewed on the township website.

Township office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Ironically, the Martuccis had already switched their electricity service to another firm. However, after seeing their monthly bill quadruple, they switched back to PPL.