Unwanted person

“Unwanted person” is a local call label for a request to address someone's presence at a location. It reflects the reporting person's concern or the agency's initial classification. It does not establish criminal trespass, prove that the caller controls the property, or show that police had authority to remove the person.

Presence and permission need facts

A reported person might be a customer, visitor, resident, worker, or someone with another relationship to the location. Those relationships matter. A short dispatch label cannot resolve competing claims about permission, possession, or residence.

Molalla Police Department's business guidance distinguishes an unwanted person's presence from the circumstances relevant to a trespass complaint and identifies the role of lawful property authority. It also excludes residency situations from its particular notice form. That is a local example of why the label is not the legal finding. Molalla trespass guidance

A later response can clarify the relationship or identify another issue. The original category should be read with the narrative and disposition rather than treated as a complete account.

Example

Hypothetical example: A caller asks police to remove someone from a shared work space and describes the person as unwanted. During the response, staff learn that both people claim permission to use the room. The agency documents the competing accounts and its handling decision.

The entry supports saying removal was requested. It does not determine who held the relevant rights, establish that a trespass occurred, or prove the reported person refused a lawful instruction. Those conclusions need additional facts and the applicable rules. The example deliberately makes no invented legal determination.

Common confusion

A trespass complaint alleges unauthorized presence under the relevant circumstances. An unwanted-person call is broader and may initially leave permission unresolved. A trespass notice is a separate document or communication whose effect depends on local law.

A suspicious-person call concerns reported conduct or circumstances, while unwanted person emphasizes a request about presence. Neither term makes someone a criminal suspect automatically. A civil matter can involve disputed possession without resolving the request through criminal enforcement.

Reading the outcome

Look for the caller's role, the property's use, the reported person's relationship to it, and the documented action. A disposition saying the person left does not, by itself, establish an offense or eviction. When counting these calls, preserve the service label and distinguish requests from warnings, citations, arrests, and other outcomes. Do not translate the category into a demographic description or a count of proven trespasses.

Related terms

• Trespass complaint
• Civil matter
• Suspicious person
• Disposition

Sources

• Molalla Police Department — MPD Trespassing Information: local distinction involving lawful property authority and notice; residency limitation on its form. No universal removal power or eviction procedure is asserted.
• Corvallis Police — Trespass Letter of Consent Program: another local property-representative authorization framework.