National Police support fund - Shack Feel I was contacted in Wilton, CT by representatives of the National Police Support Fund. We warn against them because they come off as supportive of the Greenfield Police Department, or the local police, and yet they do not do anything for us, said police Chief Robert Haigh Jr. These tend to be monies for their own agendas, and not based on the locals. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. 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. We use the funds raised from these activities to support elected officials, candidates, and organizations whose goals and values align with our own. Local organizations that raise money on behalf of San Diego law enforcement include: Star/Pal for San Diego Police, which provides educational and recreational services for inner-city youth, and the San Diego County Deputy Sheriffs Foundation, which provides support services for sheriffs personnel and families. If you get one of these calls, do not donate money just hang . How much do I need to save for retirement? Go to their website and give there or call the number listed. Wendy Beckman got a call the other day from a man asking her to help retired police and firefighters. I also learned that they were sued in the biggest FTC case in history. he transferred me to check my address. I asked if the donation was tax-deductible and he said no but could not elaborate as to why that was. To promote the prevention of juvenile crime and violence by building relationships among kids, cops and community through positive engagement. Woman calls out scammer after hearing about it on the news AARP Membership LIMITED TIME FLASH SALE. 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. The first thing I noticed was that I wasnt talking to live people; the answers all sounded scripted and recorded. Read our full report on the organization here, https://bit.ly/3xMbldo. When I asked which state this drive was for, the caller could not answer and instead said it is for a national charity. 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. Home - LEORF ', Fleeing Suspect Arrested on Trolley After Man Stabbed Multiple Times Downtown, San Diego Neo-Nazi Robert Wilson Suspected in Anne Frank House Incident, Sierra Snowpack Grows to Nearly Double Normal, Easing California Drought, Theatre Week Becomes Theatre Month Enjoy Deals As Low As $15 All Through March, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. The man on the other end of the phone is asking for money for the protection of police officers. Nonprofit however does not mean they are a charity. Sadly, it comes down to their choice of words during a pitch; its unlawful to misrepresent how the money will be spent. Theres just one week to go before the midterm election. See the metrics below for more information. Money donated to this group might be used for political purposes and will not be used for direct help to police or troopers, Fox wrote. Discovery Company. He instead provided me with their national number. 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. NEWS ALERT: House votes to kill Biden's 'woke' rule: 'Phony movement' Hispanic Federation (New York City) Abandoned Children's Fund. Phone Calls for Donations to the Police Could be a Scam Charity Navigator - Rating for National Police Association Inc. I've asked them repeatedly to stop calling this typically results in additional calls back to back from different numbers. As Smarter Giving notes, what is actually supports is the bank balances of its chief executives. The Committee for Police Officers Defense, the telemarketers who called me, applied for tax exemption in California. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The fund is the third in a series of outrageous attempts by founders David Dierks and Phil LeConte to extort money from generous Americans under the pretext of donations to the nation's police forces. 7:35 AM EDT, Fri October 16, 2020. POLICING THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN THE COUNTRY: What do Chicago's LEO's and citizens think? Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. . We support police officers who risk their lives daily protecting our communities. 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 . I recently took about a dozen of these police-support calls to hear the pitches. It appears their lack of transparency regarding where the money goes was the reason for the BBB caution. Tax records show the Fotis organization that phoned me raised $75,000 in 2021, up from $50,000 the year before. Individual officers can also become members, according to its website. Can the police officers count on you?. Learn how vehicle tech like blind spot warnings and drowsy driving alerts can help make driving safer. The cause sounds worthy: Please support your local firefighters (or police officers), the caller implores. One of Fotis websites solicits money for individuals who were guilty of a crime for doing their job the way they were trained to do it. As an example, he cites former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona. This organization spends the vast majority of its donations on children. Many of these names could easily be confused with public charities, such as Autism Speaks, National Association of Police Organizations, or Veterans Assistance Foundation. 2019 - The South African Department of Employment & Labour Disclaimer PAIA Police charity imposters: Watch out for donation scam phone calls - WITI Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Law School professor specializing in campaign finance and political corruption, said the fact that the super PAC had spent such a huge proportion of its contributions on its own expenses was jaw dropping and that it was equally concerning to hear that fundraisers were going after the elderly who they may consider easy marks.. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. He was donating to anyone who asked him for money, he said. Each organization says it is spending money for police officers being abused and unfairly targeted. : r/Scams. National Police Support Fund representatives have been phoning potential donors in the St. Louis area over the past several weeks, including the wife of a retired police officer who said she . . A hustle is like the 70s disco dance. At times, I thought they were maybe misguided, he said. Use a search engine to look for " your state + charity list ". If you require additional information, then call us 1-800-247-4872 or email us at: [email protected] Your contribution is very much appreciated and although the International Union of Police Association is recognized as a non-profit by the IRS, due to its particular status (501 (c) 5), donations are not tax . Find Best Charities To Donate | Charity Ratings, Reviews Whoops! Pro-Police Organization Isn't a Legit Charity, BBB Warns This Florida-based union touts its federal lobbying efforts on behalf of local members. Why does this matter? Government documents show that the founding treasurer is currently an executive at the International Union of Police Associations. Best and Worst Charities for Your Donations - Consumer Reports highest-volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets, A caregiver discovers questionable charities are targeting her parents for their money, Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term -43% off the standard annual rate, Access exclusive discounts, programs, & services, Double down with a FREE second membership. Legitimate charities can be checked on websites such as www.guidestar.org. Ask if the donation is tax-deductible. What can we learn from the latest Coinbase cyberattack? That link will take you to Illinois, where I live. 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. The former employee, who asked to remain anonymous because of a nondisclosure agreement, said he remembered fundraising companies outsourcing some of the telemarketing overseas to locations like the Philippines, where they relied on recordings instead of live agents. I later learned the organization is based in Fairfax, VA, and is a political action committee, or PAC. This comes at a time when some community activists have been calling for defunding the police. United Police Fund / National Police Fund scam harassment. 4 talking about this. Email Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one "association," two "coalitions" and one "support fund"). UPDATE 2020-10-29: Another new call from 585-206-3552 with a similar pre-recorded voice auto-responder identifying as 'Jeff Scott' with the National Police Support Fund. National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. He said he ultimately left because he didnt feel like he was supporting the charitable efforts he had hoped to seeing a shift toward fundraising for PACs instead of charities and observing how little of the money went to the causes callers were touting. A warning tonight about a phone and mail scam asking for donations. 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. If it is a scam they are awfully convincing on the phone but are also rather forceful. But as I learned, these callers are masters at evading any such disclosure. 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. An image from Law Enforcement For A Safer America PAC's Facebook page. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. As a wife of a police officer this is absolutely disgusting! she stated. Law Enforcement for a Safer America has raked in nearly $10 million in donations from January 2019 to June 2020, according to data reported to the Federal Election Commission. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. nationalpolicesupportfund.com Review - Scam Detector Years later, as the success of the . One woman received a call from the . The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. That same tax year, the International Union of Police Associations gave 10 students pursuing advanced degrees in law enforcement an average of $2,500 apiece.