Several neighbors on the mailing list have mentioned a small group of nervous young men going from door-to-door pitching GE alarm systems. They may just be inexperienced at their job, but their demeanor, lack of brochures and business cards, and hard-sell tactics are causing concern.

Sara from the mailing list mentioned she’d seen them a few years ago when she lived in Queen Anne, and that she’d learned they are BYU students recruited by an alarm company every summer for door-to-door selling.

Reports from Monday and Tuesday have placed them canvassing homes east of Beacon Avenue from 18th to 25th Avenue South.

Contacted via telephone, Tim Burdick of Burdick’s Security on Rainier Avenue relates that he’s received a number calls about these hucksters lately; they were also around Columbia City yesterday. He too mentions that they appear to be some sort of summer program hired by an out-of-area alarm company that hits the region every year.

One of these men actually jammed his foot in the door when the homeowner attempted to close it, according to a caller Tim had spoken to, and they had also mentioned they represented “Platinum Security”. Interestingly, the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Watch crimelog had a report Monday afternoon from 24th & Spokane: “Attempted burglary. White male posing as alarm installer tried to push his way into the house. White hat, blue jeans now headed east on So. Hanford.”

Some digging online turns up Platinum Protection, LLC based out of Orem, UT. A telephone representative confirmed that they do summer door-to-door sales nationwide. While they have a Seattle summer office, contact information for that office was not provided.

In any case, if you feel threatened or in danger, do call 911. Call in your complaints to Platinum Protection as well: 801-223-6500.

Update: They’re active all over nearby; this sounds like them in Hillman City, too.

Thanks to Alex, Joyce, David, Hazel, Ezra, Sara and Sandra from the mailing list, and also to Tim from Burdick’s Security!