Jehovah's Witnesses Complain About Solicitation Restrictions

In Raynham, Massachusetts, Jehovah's Witnesses are complaining about a requirement that anyone planning to engage in door-to-door solicitation or sales notify the police in advance. Their concerns were publicized in yesterday's Taunton (MA) Gazette. Last month, in a letter to the Board of Selectmen, Paul Polidoro, associate counsel for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, argued that applying the notification rule to those engaged in religious activities is unconstitutional. In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a similar policy imposed by an Ohio town. Raynham Police Chief Louis J. Pacheco said that the policy keeps the police from bothering ministers because it allows officials to reassure homeowners who call to complain about strangers wandering in their neighborhood.