A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. National Police Support Fund is a grassroots political organization that is committed to aligning the interests and needs of police officers with the publics issues and concerns within the national political process. I asked if the donation was tax-deductible and he said no but could not elaborate as to why that was. 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. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. A donation of $10, $15 or $25 would help keep . Registration with any of these state agencies does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by any state. 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. The latter is the name of the PAC I found earlier that had raised $3.2 million in contributions. But their website and solicitations are designed to look and sound like Make a Wish. 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 . ', 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. Can the police officers count on you?. The safest way to donate on social media or crowdfunding campaign is to give to people you actually know. 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. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - From unmarked strip-mall offices in small-town Alabama, the calls go out across the United States, meant to talk people into giving . As our conversation continued, the caller would lower the amount of funding he was requesting. Leaving politics aside for a minute, how do you know if those calls are legitimate? 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. Most of the money raised went to telemarketing 87 percent and other expenses. 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. 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. 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). . A special program within the International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO.Speaking With One Voice, Moving With One Purpose. 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. The union is run by a retired police detective, and it is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the countrys biggest federation of unions, which did not respond to requests for comment. Law Enforcement for a Safer America has raked in nearly $10 million in donations from January 2019 to June 2020 . . You May Like: Do You Need A Degree To Become A Police Officer. The scripts were designed to give the impression that they were helping out officers versus lobbying efforts, he said, adding that the political affiliation was only fully disclosed when someone proactively asked where the money would be going. The websites describe his career in law enforcement and his role as the creator of the police officers safety act legislation carried by former San Diego Congressman Randy Duke Cunningham. He seemed okay with it. 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. The union has recently claimed to have more than 100,000 members, but the IUPA has reported around 20,000 members in tax filings. Cookie Notice In fact, as Ive previously , supporting law enforcement and supporting reform movements such as Black Lives Matter are not mutually exclusive. 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 . Here are the Top 7 Amazon scam calls. 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. With tales of woe and heartbreaking images of children or helpless animals, they beg for assistance. 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. 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 . It appears their lack of transparency regarding where the money goes was the reason for the BBB caution. 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. 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. So have we all. 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. Contributions made to National Police Support Fund are not tax-deductible. I confronted him that if they were legit, why it was that they are labeled as a scam operation. 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. You read that correctly. 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. I've asked them repeatedly to stop calling this typically results in additional calls back to back from different numbers. Theres just one week to go before the midterm election. Clint Bates. Only one replied directly: 90 percent went to fundraising, and 10 percent went to police support. 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. 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. 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. We strive to engage the public through political grassroots activity to support political interests that promote officer's interests. Ive become suspicious after reading what they had to say . Here is the BBB caution: https://www.bbb.org/stlouis/news-events/bbb-warnings/2017/national-police-support-fund/, https://www.bbb.org/stlouis/news-events/bbb-warnings/2017/national-police-support-fund/. 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. Do police call for donations? Join AARP for just $9 per yearwhen you sign up for a 5-year term. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. Today, the organization has over 300 chapters across the country working to create positive change in local communities. This comes at a time when some community activists have been calling for "defunding" the police. But whats the truth. Has anyone else recently seen an uptick and calls from various police support organizations? You read that correctly. An IRS report was filed on July 26. In a nationwide, federal-state crackdown on fraudulent telemarketers claiming to help police, firefighters, and veterans, the Federal Trade Commission, together with 61 Attorneys General, Secretaries of State, and other law enforcers of 49 states and the District of Columbia, today announced Operation False Charity. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. So, the next time you get this call, hang up. FEC filings show that of the group's minimal political spending, most has gone toward pro-Trump advertising such as billboards. 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. But the groups file financial disclosures with federal regulators under only a handful of names. The scenario is all too familiar. Gas station secured small business bailout money, then paid for Trump billboards, After learning from CNN that his 92-year-old father had given $1,200 to the super PAC, Curt Busse said that the donations were made as his fathers cognitive skills declined, making him a prime target for telemarketers. Unable to verify the federal tax ID, redirected to a toll-free number. Also in Massachusetts, a Wilmington police officer received a call soliciting donations. 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/. What they do: The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League aims to minimize juvenile crime through outreach programs that pair officers with youth. 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). We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. Gotten calls like this? Its been a tough couple years for local law enforcement. Phony Firefighters Scam. That way, you avoid all of . One very common hustle is the name game. In researching the organizations, I discovered numerous similar-sounding names for PACs raising funds for police officers. ThePAC, organized by Zachary Bass, spent 90% of its take on fundraising, campaign filings show. 4 talking about this. 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. Three other IUPA executives earned more than $100,000 apiece during fiscal 2017-2018.