Full Notification

PROTECT YOURSELF DURING THE 2010 DECENNIAL CENSUS

The 2010 Decennial Census is upon us. The goal of the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce, is to meet constitutional and legislative requirements to count the U.S. population. The decennial census process is the largest domestic undertaking in the United States.

In an effort to accurately count the population, census questionnaires will be delivered by either hand or mail to residents, beginning in February 2010. From April to August 2010, Census Bureau temporary field staff will work in neighborhoods across the United States to deliver questionnaires, collect information from those who have not returned their census questionnaire, and verify addresses.

The Sausalito Police Department wants to make sure the citizens of Sausalito do not become victims to people posing fraudulently as Census Bureau personnel. As with all suspicious people, please call the Police Department if you encounter someone whom you believe is soliciting information illegally. Please review the following tips:

How to identify a Census Field Representative

If a U.S. Census Bureau employee knocks on your door, here are some recognition tips to assure the validity of the field representative:

• The field representative must present an ID badge that contains a Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date. The field representative may also be carrying a bag with a Census Bureau logo.

• The field representative will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the Regional Office phone number for verification, if asked.

• The field representative will provide you with a letter from the Census Bureau Director on official letterhead.

When Field Representatives will be going door-to-door

• From April to August 2010, we will knock on the door of every household that does not mail back a completed 2010 Census form.

• It’s critical that you take just 10 minutes to fill out and mail back your form rather than wait for a census worker to show up on your doorstep. About $85 million in taxpayer dollars are saved for every one percent increase in mail response.

• The Census Bureau must get a census form to – and a completed form back from – every residence in the United States. That’s more than 130 million addresses. This is why the census is the largest domestic mobilization our nation undertakes.


What the 2010 Census DOES NOT ask

• Field representatives will never ask you for your social security number, bank account number, or credit card number. Census workers also never solicit for donations and will never contact you by e-mail.

The Census is Safe

• The 2010 Census will ask for name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship, and whether you own or rent your home – just 10 simple questions that will take about 10 minutes to answer.

• Your answers are protected by law and are not shared with anyone.

• The Census Bureau safeguards all census responses to the highest security standards available.

For more information about the upcoming 2010 Census visit www.census.gov/2010census