POLICING THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN THE COUNTRY: What do Chicago's LEO's and citizens think? As an example, he cites former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona. It turns out Police and Fire Retirees of Ohio is a legitimate non profit lobbying group, though it is not a charity under IRS rules. It spent $103,700 on behalf of House candidates about 3% of the total, and it has contributed nothing directly to veterans groups. 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. And it's very easy to catch the eye of someone.". First Responders Children's Foundation. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. Individual officers can also become members, according to its website. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. The National Police Support Fund is a national coalition committed to promoting the interests of America's. The Arizona Fraternal Order of Police is a real organization, but protect yourself and ask questions when you receive calls like these. They count on local press coverage and a quick website. The rule of law is being eroded in our communities, and we need true Americans to stand up and join voices in support of the public servants who keep us safe. A warning tonight about calls targeting people around the Tri-State asking them to help support the police. Here are some things you can do to avoid donating to a fake charity: Pay attention to the charity's name. Ways to contribute: You can contribute to the Police Unity Tour by donating through their website. National Association of Police Athletics/Activities League. That means of a $35 donation, no more than $3.50 goes to their stated cause. 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. 2019 - The South African Department of Employment & Labour Disclaimer PAIA Simple: less scrutiny. 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. Another law enforcement charity that faced disciplinary action was the American Association of State Troopers, which was fined a total of $321,115 in three states - Georgia, Mississippi and Pennsylvania. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. 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. Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Just hang up. For the record, on their website, it never calls itself a charity or non . Type of a scam Charity. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. 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. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. It sounded like the solicitor was calling from a boiler room, where individuals dial from a list of working phone numbers. 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). National Police Support Fund brings together Americans from all walks of life united under the banner of respect and support of our nation's law enforcement officers. The National Police Support Fund. 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. This would allow me a chance to talk to your wife about considering further contributions. This organization spends the vast majority of its donations on children. Please reload the page and try again. The IRS has pretty broad rules for being a nonprofit organization. He instead provided me with their national number. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. This Florida-based union touts its federal lobbying efforts on behalf of local members. The Better Business Bureau conducted an investigation and found . But almost no one was helped. Wendy Beckman got a call the other day from a man asking her to help retired police and firefighters. 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. For example, a very well known and respected group is the Make a Wish Foundation. If you get one of these calls, do not donate money just hang . I recently took about a dozen of these police-support calls to hear the pitches. I did satisfy my rather small donation at their website https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com . A warning tonight about a phone and mail scam asking for donations. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. The safest way to donate on social media or crowdfunding campaign is to give to people you actually know. We are just passing along the information if you get a suspicious call asking for money for police officers.. We'll send you the top local news stories every morning at 8 a.m. By clicking subscribe, you agree to share your email address with Times of San Diego to receive our free newsletter and breaking news alerts. And that is likely the point. Did you encounter any technical issues? Whether the website is from the same sector as nationalpolicesupportfund.com or not, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission. I told him that I had some questions for him before I would donate. A charity is only one type of nonprofit. A profit according to Investopedia.com is revenue that exceeds expenses. I asked for the number so I could call back after I made my decision and he gave me the 1-866 number and said to call with any questions and thanked me for my time. Our officers deserve our respect and support, the Super PACs website reads. At the end of 2021, robocalls raising money for police groups were thehighest-volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets, according to Nomorobo, a robocall-blocking company that works with AARP on fraud prevention. The VIRGINIA POLICE FUND is an advocate on behalf of law enforcement to ensure they receive adequate funding for proper training and equipment and to inform the public about the issues facing law enforcement.. Virginia's law enforcement officers are some of the best trained officers in the world, however, with the limited resources of local communities, outside professional training is . Many donors say they believed they were supporting a charity that helps local officers. He paused for a few seconds and said "okay, bye" and hung up the phone. 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. Unable to verify the federal tax ID, redirected to a toll-free number. What should we investigate next? I asked if the donation was tax-deductible and he said no but could not elaborate as to why that was. ThePAC, organized by Zachary Bass, spent 90% of its take on fundraising, campaign filings show. Gotten calls like this? It only means they do not seek to make a profit on their activities. . and our It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one association, two coalitions and one support fund). But these telemarketers bombarding our phone lines? The Police Unity Tour was founded in 1997 by Patrick Montuore, a police officer from New Jersey. 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. To promote the prevention of juvenile crime and violence by building relationships among kids, cops and community through positive engagement. I said no i was told I would be sent a pledge form. So we can Verify, National Coalition for Police and Troopers is a site owned by a PAC, isn't a charitable organization. It's always a variation of the above name. A donation of $10, $15 or $25 would help keep . The website soliciting funds for Arpaio says, Liberals have targeted Sheriff Joe Arpaio with a multi-million dollar lawsuit (that could even result in jail time) because he was upholding the law of the land.. One woman received a call from the . In the report, National Police Support Fund reported about $61,000 in . Free online workshop! Years later, as the success of the program and its activities grew, six chapters on the east coast decided to convene and discuss how athletics could be incorporated into the organizations programs. 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. So, the next time you get this call, hang up. 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. 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 first thing I noticed was that I wasnt talking to live people; the answers all sounded scripted and recorded. With this in mind, the midterm election saw a new partnership between us, the National Police Support Fund, and the. With everything that's happening this pandemic year, people are getting more and more calls to support their local police. Gifts to actual charities are donations to PACs, which sometimes sound like charities, are not. Never disclose personal information. Or follow the simplest rule: Never give to anyone over the phone, said Margot Saunders, senior counsel for the National Consumer Law Center. 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. "Being that it was a recording right off the bat . American Association of State Troopers claims to support retired state troopers. We do not support nor do we condone this group, the post stated. We use the funds raised from these activities to support elected officials, candidates, and organizations whose goals and values align with our own. 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. Are the money-gathering techniques these scam PACs use illegal? 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. I told him that there is no such thing as a National Police Trust Fund. 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. 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 . The scenario is all too familiar. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. After I rejected he offered some booster donations of 15,25, 35 dollars to Goodwill or other organizations. 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! Theres just one week to go before the midterm election. 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. The fund is a real nonprofit organization, but it is a political group created "primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates to federal, state or local public office. Alexandria, VA. National Police Support Fund and United Police Fund came together this November to urge Northern Virginians to get out the vote in, National Police Support Fund, Inc.Office/Mailing Address:2800 Eisenhower Drive Suite 220Alexandria, VA 22314, Donation Processing Center:PO Box 26248Alexandria, VA 22313-2648, Phone: (571) 364-6520Email: info@nationalpolicesupportfund.com, By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive calls and SMS/MMS msgs, including autodialed and automated calls and texts using prerecorded voice, to that number from the National Police Support Fund. A: The National Police Support Fund is a grassroots nonprofit political organization founded in 2017 under Section 527 of the IRS tax code. Nonprofit however does not mean they are a charity. There have been calls circulating from a Police Officers Support Association asking for credit card donations. In fact, they count on the confusion to gather contributions. The cause sounds worthy: Please support your local firefighters (or police officers), the caller implores. @GunOwners. Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. Here are the Top 7 Amazon scam calls. Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. 2. I told him that I had some questions for him before I would donate. Bass, who set up several other super PACs, declined to comment. 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. I've asked them repeatedly to stop calling this typically results in additional calls back to back from different numbers. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. On its donate page, the NPA boasts of its work to preserve the American way of life and fight back against cop-haters. The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. "I got burned a couple of years ago when I found out another charity I was contributing to was not a real charity, so I thought I should probably check this one out," Beckman said. California resident Kellie Van Westen, 69, said she has family members who are law enforcement officers and that she believed the roughly $1,400 she donated since 2019 would help bolster local police budgets and pay for equipment to keep them safe.. 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. Follow John on Instagram @johnmataresemoney, For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com. Our Police, Firefighters, and all First Responders do need our support. I feel they abuse their use of the name to maybe convey a false sense to the community about who they are and what they really do with the money.. I came across ScamPulse.com warning people about donating to the NPSF . To find out more about these organizations, I probed the FEC website, where super PACs report their activity. "So I really want to support the police for what they do.". Absolutely no legitimate law enforcement backed organization would stoop to this level of begging for money. Sadly, it comes down to their choice of words during a pitch; its unlawful to misrepresent how the money will be spent. The pop-up charity business is usually local, occasionally regional and rarely national. 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 found a few small line items labeled legislative services, but none that appeared to go directly to supporting police. When a solicitor for one of these groups calls a prospective donor the pitch will include the truthful statement that they are a nonprofit organization. National Police Association Inc. has earned a 60% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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 BBB said days later, the New Jersey State Police photo had been removed from the site. This comes at a time when some community activists have been calling for "defunding" the police. 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