Census workers use hand-held GPS computers to update address lists. (Census Bureau photo)
If you see strange people with electronic equipment around town, or even on the front steps in the coming days, it may not be a sign of some sinister plot. Town officials say it’s likely to be workers for the U.S. Census Bureau laying the groundwork for the 2010 population count. The bureau says it’s using the equipment to update its address list for the 130 million U.S. housing units this spring.
More below, including an announcement issued by the town late Friday afternoon:
U.S. Census Bureau in Davidson
Please be advised that a team from the Census Bureau is in Davidson to begin preliminary work for the 2010 Census.
The purpose of their work is to take GPS readings at each address. This may entail the team member standing on the front steps or front porch of a residence, hitting a button on their GPS device, getting a reading for each address and moving on.
The only time a team member would knock on the door of a residence is if there is no visible address number. Every team member should be wearing a small (approximately 2″ x 3.25″) white ID card. It has the American Flag on the upper left hand corner. It has the following in red and/or blue letters:
United States
Department of Commerce
Bureau of the CensusThere is a red seal)
Assignment (i.e., “Crew Leader, Team Member, etc.)
Signature of person
OFFICIAL CREDENTIAL
CENSUS BUREAU
On its website, the Census Bureau says it plans to update its nationwide residential address list this spring using “confidential and secure GPS-equipped hand-held computers to verify, add and delete addresses. An accurate address list ensures that every household receives a census questionnaire in 2010. To complete this task, the Census Bureau is offering 140,000 temporary jobs with competitive wages and flexible schedules.”
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