Census Workers Have Been Attacked By Animals 24 Times, Assaulted 88 Times

Census Workers Have Been Attacked By Animals 24 Times, Assaulted 88 Times
Justin Elliott | June 21, 2010, 4:22PM

There were 409 threats or assaults on Census workers making home visits between May and last Friday, 24 of which were animal attacks and 13 of which involved shots fired, according to data given to TPMmuckraker by the Census Bureau.

The Washington Post had a good story Sunday looking at the hazards of Census work. The paper noted that this year has seen more than double the 181 incidents reported last time around, in 2000.

Census Spokeswoman Shelly Lowe tells us in an email that the jump "is due in part to an increase in households and a more rigorous tracking system."

Here's the breakdown of the 409 incidents so far:

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In 10 cases the Census worker was robbed, carjacked, or held against his or her will.
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In 13 cases shots were fired.
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There were 24 animal attacks or threats.
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There were 101 verbal assaults or threats.
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In 132 cases a weapon was pulled or use of a weapon was threatened.
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There were 88 physical assaults.

As the Post reports, some of these incidents can be attributed to anti-government sentiment:

Sherri Chesney, 46, said she was cursed and spat at during follow-up visits in Houston. One day, she encountered a woman working in her garden. Chesney showed her census badge, she said, prompting the woman to launch into a tirade: "I don't need the blankety-blank government snooping in my business." Then she threw a metal patio table at Chesney, who escaped injury by ducking.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/census_bureau_workers_attack_numbers.php

Wow. 88 physical assaults. On big bad govt. These people are nuts.

The article doesn't say WHERE these incidents took place. If they were in the rural section of the country,dogs run loose,guns are shot all the time,people don't want to be bothered. They probably mailed the Census in already and don't won't any other Govt. involvement.

It's only the ones who mailed it late or not at all who are being visited.

Also, isn't it illegal in some places to let your dog run loose? Certainly it's not OK to "shoot guns all the time," at least at people.

"People don't want to be bothered" isn't sufficient excuse for siccing a dog on a census worker or shooting one.

While working the 1980 Census, my later-to-be wife was attacked by three dogs, slightly injured.

As horrid and frightening, and sometimes life-threatening, as can be an animal attack, the other stuff I would put into an altogether different category from animal attacks.

Yes, they should have sent the paperwork in.

However, the census worker probably shouldn't have barged into their house, without knocking. Apparently the screen door was closed but the main door was open and she just walked right in. And got attacked by their dog (who is the sweetest boxer ever by the way).

...

He told me to leave, I left.

Bad vibes.

What I'm asking is if that household is counted in any way. Is it truly a loss in census counting - as in would it affect election districts?
:hi:

Got a neighbor to proxy.