Leaving politics aside for a minute, how do you know if those calls are legitimate? I did satisfy my rather small donation at their website https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com . 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. 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 . Hispanic Federation (New York City) Abandoned Children's Fund. Authorities issue warning about pro-police mail scam - The Union We strive to engage the public through political grassroots activity to support political interests that promote officer's interests. The FTC and charity regulators and law enforcement officials in every state have teamed up on more than 100 actions against dozens of fake charities, which have collected tens of millions of . According to an analysis by The Center for Public Integrity (CFPI), the names of some of these "scam PACs" are listed below. KENNER, LA (WVUE) - The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office warns of a scam from the "American Police Officers Alliance" asking for donations for law enforcement. Campaign finance data, however, shows that about 98% of the money spent is not being used for this mission. This particular super PACs treasurer is a former cop who was arrested for stealing $50,000 from the police union for which he served as president. It's always a variation of the above name. The International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO was formed in 1979 to collectively represent those in law enforcement that are active or retired law enforcement officers to fight to improve, protect, and remember the lives of officers and their families in law enforcement the organization also works to improve legislation that protects and affects public safety officers, as well as representing the needs of law enforcement officers and support personnel, whether that be for better equipment, more staff or a fair wage. Police charity imposters: Watch out for donation scam phone calls - WITI National Police Support Fund is dedicated to providing a united voice for true Americans who support our nation's law enforcement officers. The matter now heads to the Senate, where the disapproval resolution may pass if every Republican plus rebellious Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (W.Va.) support the effort. When I googled the fund, a BBB caution was the first result. Recommended Reading: How To Become A Desk Police Officer, Also Check: Can Police Help Me Unlock My Car. I told him that I had some questions for him before I would donate. These are Americas heroes. Videos on its site show cities in flames and say that officers have been injured during what the group describes as riots presumably referring to recent Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. This organization spends the vast majority of its donations on children. Wendy is fine with that and will sleep better now. The solution, the letter says, is clear: Give our law enforcement officers the crime prevention tools they need. 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 . Cookie Notice Busse said he and his sister took over their fathers finances last year. The rest of the money has gone primarily to the firms helping it solicit donations including nearly $3 million in payments to one telemarketing company sued by the government last month for allegedly using deceptive tactics. Get a FREE subscription to AARP The Magazine. Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, How Long Does It Take To Get Into Police Academy, How Many People Were Killed By Police In 2020, Where To File A Police Report For Car Accident. 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 . The organization also has a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. One very common hustle is the name game. A Warner Bros. Entire local police unions, which negotiate collective bargaining agreements for their members, can choose to affiliate with the group. He organized the Police Unity Tour as a fundraising event to honor members of law enforcement who had lost their lives in the line of service. All Rights Reserved. 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. Verify: Law enforcement charity phone calls - KSDK Just change the state to your state and verify the charity is listed with your state attorney general's office, or another regulatory office (each state has different requirements). He gave a range of donations to be made . There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Trade groups like those that represent the fast food or soft drink producers operate as nonprofits. Asking for donations to the National Police Support Fund. The result: a rise in super PACs that use sympathetic-sounding causes primarily to line their own pockets (the FEC has called this subset scam PACs). Law Enforcement for a Safer America has raked in nearly $10 million in donations from January 2019 to June 2020 . Below are our favorite charities for law enforcement: National Police Foundation. If you have been contacted via telephone and asked to make donations to the National Police Foundation in Washington, D.C., this is a scam. They are the tragi-charities. Watch out for a new "police support fund" scam. She verified my information and repeatedly asked me to promise to mail it back as soon as I received it. Filed Jan. 29, 2020, 3:45 p.m. GMT. National Police Association | Educating supporters of law enforcement Why does this matter? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. If your phone rings, it's not us. The Police Are Always Asking For Money But Where Does That Money Go It also concerned him that so many prospects were elderly. When I asked which state this drive was for, the caller could not answer and instead said it is for a national charity. 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. National Police Defense Foundation has earned a 81% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. 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. He was super pushy trying to get me to donate for 75,95, 105 dollars. The call came to Get Gephardt to investigate who exactly it is that's making those calls. 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 latter is the name of the PAC I found earlier that had raised $3.2 million in contributions. Im calling on behalf of the National Save the Police Fund,* the voice on the phone told me. 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 Police Support Fund is a legitimate organization that supports the interests of America's law enforcement officers. A charity is only one type of nonprofit. So, the next time you get this call, hang up. And it's very easy to catch the eye of someone.". The charitys affiliation with the government. Type of a scam Charity. But their website and solicitations are designed to look and sound like Make a Wish. A warning tonight about a phone and mail scam asking for donations. Required fields are marked *. California Proposition 25 Defeated, Thanks in Part to Local Efforts Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The source of the funding information was OpenSecrets, a database that tracks spending in U.S. politics run by the Center for Responsive Politics. 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. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. Super PACs generally have far fewer state-level reporting requirements and are regulated by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which has fewer enforcement options than the IRS. In researching the organizations, I discovered numerous similar-sounding names for PACs raising funds for police officers. Police association scam calls: Don't fall for it, says Bob Ziegelbauer Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Kids Wish Network, however, spends only 3 cents of every dollar collected on kids. Promoting divisive rhetoric is detrimental to the public safety mission that requires any genuine law enforcement organization to be accountable to its constituents. If you require additional information, then call us 1-800-247-4872 or email us at: 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 5), donations are not tax deductible pursuant to IRC 170(c. A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to: The International Union of Police Associations, 5632 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 200 Sarasota, FL . This would allow me a chance to talk to your wife about considering further contributions. Quoting from its website, the Committee for Police Officers Defense is a 527 Committee designed to seek out radical prosecutors, judges and district attorneys. Another organization is named on the website as well The Police Officers Defense Coalition. 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. Are robo-calls from the 'Committee for Police Officers' Defense' (aka 9 Read Also: Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, 2021 KnowYourPolice.net The vast majority of donations since 2019 were under $200, meaning the funds came from tens of thousands of donors. Watch out for a new "police support fund" scam - FourStatesHomepage.com He instead provided me with their national number. 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. On each call, my questions about how donations got spent mostly went unanswered. The Police and Troopers Relief Foundation (PTRF) is a special program within the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund (LEORF), established by the International Union of Police Associations. 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. I confronted him that if they were legit, why it was that they are labeled as a scam operation. You read that correctly. 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. This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. But almost no one was helped. Learn about the latest anti-police movement, Download our 2022 police ballot measures analysis, Download our 2022 law enforcement support guide, Virginia Election Ad by National Police Support Fund, Pro-Police Organizations Worked Together to Get Out the Vote & Boosts Conservative Turnout in NoVa, https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com/terms-of-service/. Not authorized by any candidate or . Follow John on Instagram @johnmataresemoney, For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com. Our movement is comprised of tens of thousands of Americans from all walks of life who are joined together by their common . You read that correctly. Many of these names could easily be confused with public charities, such as Autism Speaks, National Association of Police Organizations, or Veterans Assistance Foundation. The National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. In fact, as Ive previously , supporting law enforcement and supporting reform movements such as Black Lives Matter are not mutually exclusive. . Phony Firefighters Scam. Dozens of fake charities scammed donations for veterans the pocketed Up until the latest tax year when the groups appear to have changed how they categorize certain expenditures the pattern was largely the same from year to year: A small number of families received a couple thousand dollars apiece top employees of the union received more than $100,000 apiece and tens of millions went to telemarketers. Home - LEORF It appears their lack of transparency regarding where the money goes was the reason for the BBB caution. 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. Terms & conditions/privacy policy apply https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com/terms-of-service/, Contributions to the National Police Support Fund are not tax deductible. (Santa Rosa, Calf.) Nonprofit however does not mean they are a charity. The man on the other end of the phone is asking for money for the protection of police officers. Msg&data rates may apply. Police Protection Fund. First Responders Children's Foundation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. As the list of high-profile police shootings has grown in recent years and calls to defund the police have gotten louder, tensions between protesters and those who have rushed to the support of police some of whom have become part of a Blue Lives Matter movement have been building. A union receptionist also confirmed to CNN that the super PAC is run by the union, but union leaders did not respond to repeated calls, voicemails and emails that laid out the concerns from other police departments and donors and asked why so little of the $10 million raised went toward political activities. 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. Legitimate charities can be checked on websites such as www.guidestar.org. Ask if the donation is tax-deductible. As a wife of a police officer this is absolutely disgusting! she stated. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. 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. Even if you like the idea, how do you know the call is legitimate? We are entering the crucial last minutes of our ongoing struggle to defend police officers. Multiple voices could be heard in the background. If they are PACs, the fundraising effort is politically motivated and wont necessarily support San Diego-area officers or deputies or their families. 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 . An IRS report was filed on July 26. And soon, you say, sure, why not? 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. We highly encourage our followers to verify who they are making donations to when contacted for fundraisers.. Only one replied directly: 90 percent went to fundraising, and 10 percent went to police support. I told him that there is no such thing as a National Police Trust Fund. The IRS has pretty broad rules for being a nonprofit organization. While several recordings uploaded online show that some callers have briefly mentioned the term PAC or have said that the group is supporting efforts to elect lawmakers to advocate for certain issues, the Montana attorney general wasnt the only person to say the group hadnt identified itself as required. generic photos, there is no real content validating that they do anything to actually support the police. Is the American police officers Alliance legit? - iPhone Forum Three other IUPA executives earned more than $100,000 apiece during fiscal 2017-2018. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one association, two coalitions and one support fund). The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. The usual claiming they were legitimate. The first one, the texh . The filings dont show how much the groups officials are directly benefiting from the political committee it created, and it is unclear why the group deemed it necessary to create so many different aliases to use for soliciting donations.