Brick Police Looking Into Recent Door-to-Door Charity Solicitations

Front Door. (Credit: Heather Elias/Flickr)

Representatives from a group billing itself as a youth charity were going door-to-door over the past several days in Brick neighborhoods, raising concerns from some residents and leading to some police involvement.

The group, operating under the name Garden State Youth Club of America, was soliciting donations which representatives said would go to support its youth mentoring programs. In one instance, one of the teenage representatives told a resident the club supported youth programs in Newark.

Brick Police Sgt. Larry Petrola said since the group is a nonprofit enterprise, it does not need a solicitation permit to go door-to-door, however the township’s solicitation ordinance does require such groups to provide a list of streets on which they will be soliciting. In the case of Garden State Youth Club of America, no such list was provided to the township, he said.

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“They are going to be called and advised that if they do not give us the streets, they will not be able to do that in Brick anymore,” said Petrola. “If they’re not compliant, they can be shut down.”

According to its website, Garden State Youth Club of America is based in Hackensack. A call the organization was not returned.

Petrola said residents concerned with suspicious door-to-door solicitations should call police and report the activity.

In May, a group known as the New Jersey Youth Club of America ceased operations under a settlement with state authorities. It is not known if there is a connection between that group and the one that was operating in Brick recently.