Videos on Law Enforcement for a Safer America's website show cities in flames and say that officers have been injured during what the group describes as riots. And the Morton Police Department in Illinois posted on Facebook about calls from a mysterious phone number with a local area code last year. If they are PACs, the fundraising effort is politically motivated and wont necessarily support San Diego-area officers or deputies or their families. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. On its donate page, the NPA boasts of its work to preserve the American way of life and fight back against cop-haters. This policy has been repudiated by a significant number of law enforcement leaders, whose experience has led them to conclude that it would make their communities unsafe. It's always a variation of the above name. The solution, the letter says, is clear: Give our law enforcement officers the crime prevention tools they need. Police Protection Fund. Phony Firefighters Scam. The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. Busse said he and his sister took over their fathers finances last year. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. The Police Officers Defense Alliance, for example, raised $3.2 million in 2020, and The American Police Officers Alliance raised $4.3 million. Their impact and transparency ratings: The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League has an Accountability and Transparency score of 92 out of 100 from Charity Navigator. Pearl S Buck International's stated purpose is to provide opportunities to explore and appreciate other cultures, build better lives for children around the globe and promote the legacy of our founder by preserving and interpreting her National Historic Landmark home. On each call, my questions about how donations got spent mostly went unanswered. In telemarketing calls, DPSF fundraisers told people that donations would be used for grants to disabled officers and to the families of officers slain in the line of duty. A secretive political group has been pulling in millions of dollars in recent months amid a growing Blue Lives Matter movement, with a cadre of telemarketers urgently telling Americans that now is the time to support the police and keep them safe. 2019 - The South African Department of Employment & Labour Disclaimer PAIA Whether the website is from the same sector as nationalpolicesupportfund.com or not, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Police Unity Tour. The organization also has a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. What they do: The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League aims to minimize juvenile crime through outreach programs that pair officers with youth. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Political organizations including both the Democratic and Republican parties are nonprofits. Sara Kemerer of the . Each organization says it is spending money for police officers being abused and unfairly targeted. On each call, my questions about how donations got spent mostly went unanswered. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. Also worth noting is that while his organization is based in Virginia, and gets its mail in Stafford, TX, Fotis lives in Lake Worth, FL. We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. Simple web searches can show that the 'charitable organization' calling either 1 . The Better Business Bureau is warning about an organization that calls itself the National Police Support Fund which, despite soliciting contributions from St. Louis-area donors, isn't . It also transferred $30,000 to another pro-police super PAC that the union operates, based on the officers listed on its filings. The PTRF/LEORF was created to provide specialized relief when, tragically, a law enforcement officer is killed in the line-of-duty or seriously injured in . For example, a very well known and respected group is the Make a Wish Foundation. Claire Reiss, 79, said she thought the more than $2,000 she donated would go to injured police and their families, but that she stopped giving away her money when the calls just wouldnt stop. The recording says it is "Kenneth Allen from the National Police Support Fund" and they are asking for donations. In fact, they count on the confusion to gather contributions. Here are some things you can do to avoid donating to a fake charity: Pay attention to the charity's name. Registration with any of these state agencies does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by any state. Im calling on behalf of the National Save the Police Fund,* the voice on the phone told me. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. One hit wonders seeking to cash in on the tragedy of the day from floods and fires to missing children and more. (Santa Rosa, Calf.) You can find more information about "who is the National Police Support . Entire local police unions, which negotiate collective bargaining agreements for their members, can choose to affiliate with the group. You read that correctly. Terms & conditions/privacy policy apply https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com/terms-of-service/, Contributions to the National Police Support Fund are not tax deductible. He instead provided me with their national number. appreciated. PPF has been sued by regulatory agencies in at least six states, including California, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri, and was fined $463,000. The National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. We don't engage in telemarketing. 2. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one association, two coalitions and one support fund). A donation of $10, $15 or $25 would help keep . The National Police Association files amicus brief opposing Oregon's attempt to criminalize law abiding gun owners. Eagerly he asked if I was comfortable with that amount. But whats the truth. For more information, please see our He paused for a few seconds and said "okay, bye" and hung up the phone. If it is a scam they are awfully convincing on the phone but are also rather forceful. The usual claiming they were legitimate. Absolutely no legitimate law enforcement backed organization would stoop to this level of begging for money. The application also included the name Police Officers Defense Coalition, as well as the Police Officers Defense Alliance. Read Also: What Are The Steps To Becoming A Police Officer. Here are the Top 7 Amazon scam calls. Sadly, it comes down to their choice of words during a pitch; its unlawful to misrepresent how the money will be spent. I received a call today from someone from The National Police Support Fund, who claimed to be collecting money for a drive. National Association of Police Athletics/Activities League. I received a phone call asking me to donate to National Police Support Fund I was going to give them my debit card number over the phone but changed my mind at the last moment. And cops are facing increasing disrespect on the streets as criminals have become emboldened by the wave of anti-cop rhetoric in the news media and by many politicians. At the end of 2021, robocalls raising money for police groups were the highest-volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets, according to Nomorobo, a robocall-blocking company that works with AARP on fraud prevention. Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. Sara Kemerer of the Cincinnati BBB says you should look them up at the bureau's website, www.bbb.org, or at Charity Navigator.org, or Guidestar.org. Lots of different special interest groups are nonprofits, including some private businesses that pay their executives quite well. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. Please reload the page and try again. So we can Verify, National Coalition for Police and Troopers is a site owned by a PAC, isn't a charitable organization. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. Together, the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund and the International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO, have spent about $82.3 million 77 percent of their operating expenditures on fundraising services from around 2011 to March 2018, according to a Public Integrity analysis of annual tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue . Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. See the metrics below for more information. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. If the potential donors suspected they had given to the group before, the callers were instructed to say: I have no way of knowing because we feel that donations are given from the heart, not the hand, so we keep all donation records confidential, according to the FAQ. The National Policing Institute, a national, Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization dedicated to advancing policing through science and innovation, has received information from several individuals who have been contacted by solicitors asking for donations in support of the "National Policing Institute," or in some cases the "National Police Fund," which we are not affiliated . Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The cause sounds worthy: Please support your local firefighters (or police officers), the caller implores. By choosing the . On 12/30/2018, I received a call from (862) 333-2411 from a man with a deep voice and a southern accent, who identified himself as Dan, if I would like to make a donation to the National Police Trust Fund. In this case, the pitch was for money for helping police officers in the continuing war against cops.. It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. In about 7 years (through March 2018), the union and relief fund spent a total of approximately $102.3 million, of which $82.3 million went towards fundraising. For example, in the tax year that ended March 2018, the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund gave 11 families an average of $6,545 apiece. "The words police and words firefighter are not trademarked," Kemerer explained, "so it is very easy for scammers to use those names and create fake organizations. There have been calls circulating from a Police Officers Support Association asking for credit card donations. National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. Follow John on Instagram @johnmataresemoney, For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com. Of those who gave more than $200, which are required to be disclosed to the federal government, roughly 80% were retirees, according to an analysis of the data. Founded in 1978, NAPO is the strongest unified . Nonprofit however does not mean they are a charity. Trump billboards along a desert stretch of highway near the border of California and Arizona were paid for by a small business that received a federal loan. President Trump pardoned the sheriff even after the Department of Justice described Arpaio as being responsible for the worst case of racial profiling in U.S. history. The robot voice saying the call would be recorded for record purposes sounded so real but it was just him. When a charitys fundraiser calls to ask you for a donation, they have to follow some rules: A: We engage in activities aimed at supporting our law enforcement officers and standing up for their rights and values throughout the political process. The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. National Police Support Fund - Alexandria, VA. An elderly man in Trenton, Mi., received a dire letter that warned of the greatest threats to our public safety in our nations history. A warning tonight about a phone and mail scam asking for donations. Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps"). Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. The Better Business Bureau conducted an investigation and found . I asked him where the money goes. As a result, he had a positive outlook on military and all law enforcement officers, Busse said, but he never expressed any particular interest in supporting the police through financial donations.. Even if you like the idea, how do you know the call is legitimate? He never would have given money to any group if he knew that some of that money was going to pro-Trump campaign ads, said Busse. National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. In fact, former employees of these types of fundraisers have testified about how they used soundboard technology to play prerecorded messages as responses, in part so they could talk to several donors at once. Now, the last thing I want to do is discourage you from giving to causes you care about, like supporting police. Theres just one week to go before the midterm election. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. The mailing scam, which was identified in a CNN article last fall and had already targeted residents in eastern states including Massachusetts and Wisconsin, asks recipients of the letter to donate $20 to an organization misleadingly calling itself the "Police Officers Support Association, PAC" according to Grass Valley Police Sgt. : r/Scams. They count on local press coverage and a quick website. Mostly they are the products of individual scammers who smell an opportunity to cash in using the name of a victim who may or may not even be real. Use a search engine to look for " your state + charity list ". I have asked 5 times to be removed from their call list, but they are still constantly calling, at this point it is harassment and it needs to STOP! Also Check: Do You Have To Pay For A Police Report. This was up from roughly $1 million raised by the group, which was founded in June 2018, in the last six months of the prior election cycle. Contact us: contact@knowyourpolice.net, SCAM: National Police Support Fund donation, How To Get Insurance Information From Police Report, Is National Police Association Legitimate, How Many Years Of College To Become A Police Officer, Do You Need A Degree To Become A Police Officer, What Are The Steps To Becoming A Police Officer, How Many Hours To Become A Police Officer, What Education Do I Need To Be A Police Officer, How Do You Know If The Police Are Investigating You. He said that although it is more expensive for super PACs to solicit small donations which is what this one is doing spending so much on operations and so little on political activities is unusual. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Also in Massachusetts, a Wilmington police officer received a call soliciting donations. How much do I need to save for retirement? Our movement is comprised of tens of thousands of Americans from all walks of life who are joined together by their common respect for the rule of law and united in their support for the police officers who put their lives on the line every day in their communities. This section is used to influence public opinion in support of the interests of . This would allow me a chance to talk to your wife about considering further contributions. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. Tax filings also show that the union operates its own call center and that a company the union controls purchased a nearly 20,000 square foot office building valued at more than $2.5 million, where the union is now based. And some are outright scams. With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. Wendy Beckman got a call the other day from a man asking her to help retired police and firefighters. Below are a few tips for screening for legitimate charities. At least seven local police departments from around the country and a state attorney general have issued scam alerts and other notices about these fundraising efforts, warning residents in their communities as recently as this summer that they have no affiliation with this group. A: The National Police Support Fund is a grassroots nonprofit political organization founded in 2017 under Section 527 of the IRS tax code. Unless you want your money to go toward lawsuits , take my advice and find another charity to support although preferably one on another list to this one. Law Enforcement for a Safer America does not disclose on its website who is running the super PAC, but public filings reveal that leaders of one of the countrys largest police unions are pulling the strings. Gotten calls like this? It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one "association," two "coalitions" and one "support fund"). The charitys affiliation with the government. We are entering the crucial last minutes of our ongoing struggle to defend police officers. The latter is the name of the PAC I found earlier that had raised $3.2 million in contributions. Simple: less scrutiny. He could not answer. Simple: less scrutiny. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The pop-up charity business is usually local, occasionally regional and rarely national. They improvise and evolve to stay one step ahead of unsuspecting donors. In about 7 years (through March 2018), the union and relief fund spent a total of approximately $102.3 million, of which $82.3 million went towards fundraising. And it's very easy to catch the eye of someone.". A warning tonight about calls targeting people around the Tri-State asking them to help support the police. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. proudly complies with state regulations and required disclosures. About $1.8 million went toward the salaries of union officials, including $199,700 for Cabral, the president. Bass, who set up several other super PACs, declined to comment. Recommended Reading: How Many Hours To Become A Police Officer, Read Also: What Education Do I Need To Be A Police Officer. It also concerned him that so many prospects were elderly. Fundraising calls are allowed even if your number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. The charitys programs focus primarily on education, mentorship, and athletic activities that empower youth. Our mission is to promote the interests of our nation's police officers within our nation's political and public policy process. The super PAC said on Facebook in September that it had placed this billboard in multiple locations throughout Wisconsin and that more would be coming. Several donors said they never would have given money to the group if they knew it would pay for Trump advertisements, including 70-year-old Susan Durie, a self-described bleeding heart liberal Democrat from Los Angeles who donated around $600 and said she felt like a victim of a scam since she thinks she was misled into believing that her donation would go to local police. The Better Business Bureau says if anyone calls or knocks asking you to help the police, the best thing you can do is ask them for information before you agree to donate. In the wake of tragedies large and small, they pop up like mushrooms after a rain. SCAM: National Police Support Fund donation. If you get one of these calls, do not donate money just hang . Clint Bates. They would have soundboards with prerecorded bits that would play and give the impression they were talking to a live person but in reality it was just someone playing bits off a soundboard, he said. . It appears their lack of transparency regarding where the money goes was the reason for the BBB caution. The Police Unity Tour was founded in 1997 by Patrick Montuore, a police officer from New Jersey. Many charities that help first responders like police officers and firefighters veterans, and active duty military, or their families, pay fundraisers to call donors or potential donors. The NPAs immigration proposalAuthorizing local law enforcement officers to perform federal immigration law enforcement functionsis based on fear-mongering and a clear recipe for abuse and division. What can we learn from the latest Coinbase cyberattack? Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee.Paid for by National Police Support Fund, Inc. |Privacy & Refund Policy| Sitemap, Biggest Issues Facing Police Officers Today. That means of a $35 donation, no more than $3.50 goes to their stated cause, highest-volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets. That link will take you to Illinois, where I live. This Florida-based union touts its federal lobbying efforts on behalf of local members. National Police Support Fund is a grassroots political organization that is committed to aligning the interests and needs of police officers with the public's issues and concerns within the national political process. This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. Some telemarketers who claim to be raising money for causes like homeless veterans and cancer victims work for political action committees , not charities, and keep much of the money they raise. In the case of National Police Support Fund, we accept contributions and make expenditures in order to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of candidates to federal, state, and local offices. He of course provided a non-reassuring answer with no defence when the jig was up, and ended the call. Soft on Crime groups are targeting record numbers of individual law enforcement officers in law suits for police brutality. I asked them to mail me a bill instead and they did , I called the phone number on the letter and did not get a respond so I decided to go to their website . Once it was blocked through my service provider, an additional phone number began to call my home multiple times a day. The caller said he was phoning on behalf of the Committee for Police Officers Defense. Tax records show the Fotis organization that phoned me raised $75,000 in 2021, up from $50,000 the year before. Many of the other complaints to the FTC about the political committee and its related groups said fundraisers used spoofed numbers and violated the law by calling them even though they were on the Do Not Call list, while others said they had been misled or even harassed by fundraisers. I have asked 5 times to be removed from their call list, but they are still constantly calling, at this point it is harassment and it needs to STOP! He was super pushy trying to get me to donate for 75,95, 105 dollars. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. See the metrics below for more information. Recommended Reading: How To Become A Desk Police Officer, Also Check: Can Police Help Me Unlock My Car. Its made up of series of regular steps timed to the beat of the music that can be improvised as needed. Ask for information, check sites like Charitynavigator.org and then if it all checks out, write that check. How to report a scammer? These charities usually rake in a few thousand dollars and disappear. Type of a scam Charity. The tour began with 18 members of law enforcement, who rode from New Jersey to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Their impact and transparency ratings: The Police Unity Tour holds a Financial rating of 84 out of 100 from Charity Navigator. In the first half of 2021, this organization reported donations of $4.3 million; expenditures were just under $4.2 million, the bulk of this going to overhead fundraising, lawyers, lead lists and so on.
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