They do disclose, however, that of the nearly $10 million raised, the super PAC gave more money back to the union roughly $350,000 for office, operational and overhead expenses than the $173,500 it spent on political activities between January 2019 and June 2020. 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.. But the groups file financial disclosures with federal regulators under only a handful of names. "As Pennsylvanians look to support [] 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. Oh, god, she said upon being contacted by CNN and learning how the money was spent, Im supposed to be smart, but boy was I a dope.. Please note that many legitimate local (and unaffiliated) police foundations and organizations may solicit donations from local communities via telephone and mail. Learn how vehicle tech like blind spot warnings and drowsy driving alerts can help make driving safer. National Police Association Inc. has earned a 60% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. JW August is a San Diego-based broadcast and digital journalist. That means of a $35 donation, no more than $3.50 goes to their stated cause. How to report a scammer? 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. Law Enforcement for a Safer America has raked in nearly $10 million in donations from January 2019 to June 2020 . Published We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. Get a FREE subscription to AARP The Magazine. If you are still not sure if your money is really going to the cause, call your local police or fire department and ask how you can donate to them. A Warner Bros. 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. The vast majority of donations since 2019 were under $200, meaning the funds came from tens of thousands of donors. 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. Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items. But almost no one was helped. An employee who said he previously worked for two companies that raised money for Law Enforcement for a Safer America said that at his more recent job, callers were instructed not to disclose that they were calling on behalf of a super PAC. She had noticed the term PAC on receipts she received in the mail but thought that meant the charities were working together and had a pact to support the police cause she believed in. By choosing the . 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 . 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/. Follow John on Instagram @johnmataresemoney, For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com. Fundraising calls are allowed even if your number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. But none of the money being raised actually goes to police departments, according to government records. 2023 Cable News Network. 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). Many donors say they believed they were supporting a charity that helps local officers. The scenario is all too familiar. For example, in 2019, nearly 90% of the organizations income was spent on its programming. You can find more information about "who is the National Police Support . The organization also has a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. The charitys programs focus primarily on education, mentorship, and athletic activities that empower youth. 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. 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. Gotten calls like this? Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. 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. In a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, another woman, whose name was redacted, said she received multiple calls from the National Coalition for Police and Troopers, one of the super PACs various aliases. proudly complies with state regulations and required disclosures. Many legitimate charities support local firefighters and police, active duty military, and veterans, or their families. Here are the Top 7 Amazon scam calls. Key battles deserve tight alliances. The pop-up charity business is usually local, occasionally regional and rarely national. A warning tonight about calls targeting people around the Tri-State asking them to help support the police. The union has recently claimed to have more than 100,000 members, but the IUPA has reported around 20,000 members in tax filings. This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. Cookie Notice The National Police Support Fund. We are just passing along the information if you get a suspicious call asking for money for police officers.. 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. The recording says it is "Kenneth Allen from the National Police Support Fund" and they are asking for donations. Woman suspicious after calls to help police. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. The usual claiming they were legitimate. 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. 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 . Simple web searches can show that the 'charitable organization' calling either 1 . Please enable Javascript in your browser and try SCAM: National Police Support Fund donation. 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 group's videos have received few views, but money has been pouring in. He also wanted to highlight law enforcements hard work across the country. Msg&data rates may apply. In the report, National Police Support Fund reported about $61,000 in . Even if you like the idea, how do you know the call is legitimate? ThePAC, organized by Zachary Bass, spent 90% of its take on fundraising, campaign filings show. While there are no requirements dictating the percentage of money that must go toward political activities, campaign finance expert Rob Pyers has dubbed the group a Scam PAC because of its high operating expenses and negligible political spending. If you want fundraisers to stop calling, ask them to put you on the charitys do not call list. Our movement is comprised of tens of thousands of Americans from all walks of life who are joined together by their common . Is National police Support Fund legit? People are receiving phone scam calls asking for donations to help out local police departments or slain and wounded police offers. We are entering the crucial last minutes of our ongoing struggle to defend police officers. So what happened to the other approximately 33% of . Whoops! The BBB said days later, the New Jersey State Police photo had been removed from the site. Groups like Antifa and Black Lives Matter have inspired people to assassinate cops on the street. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox posted on Facebook last year about a call he received from Roy on behalf of the National Coalition for Police and Troopers. by Michelle Diament, April 2008. Asking for donations to the National Police Support Fund. 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. Andy Cottam is among the many who received the call. American Association of State Troopers claims to support retired state troopers. 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. Do police call for donations? To find out more about these organizations, I probed the FEC website, where super PACs report their activity. He was donating to anyone who asked him for money, he said. You May Like: Do You Need A Degree To Become A Police Officer. Type of a scam Charity. Below are our favorite charities for law enforcement: National Police Foundation. This section is used to influence public opinion in support of the interests of . 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. I said no i was told I would be sent a pledge form. With tales of woe and heartbreaking images of children or helpless animals, they beg for assistance. BREAKING The House just voted to block Biden's woke ESG rule, which would let Wall Street use your retirement savings to fund left-wing political causes. They count on local press coverage and a quick website. I told him I did not have any money to donate at the moment. 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. Clint Bates. Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. I told him that I had some questions for him before I would donate. Absolutely no legitimate law enforcement backed organization would stoop to this level of begging for money. It wasnt the usual automated call, and hearing a human voice kept me on the line. 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. "But I'm sure there are a lot that are not on the level, so you kind of have to be cautious," she said. The charitys affiliation with the government. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. Use a search engine to look for " your state + charity list ". All Rights Reserved. See the metrics below for more information. How much do I need to save for retirement? FEC filings show that of the group's minimal political spending, most has gone toward pro-Trump advertising such as billboards. Three calls to his Virginia office for comment have gone unanswered as well as an email sent directly to his address listed in his filings with California. Recommended Reading: How To Become A Desk Police Officer, Also Check: Can Police Help Me Unlock My Car. The Committee for Police Officers Defense, the telemarketers who called me, applied for tax exemption in California. As an example, he cites former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona. As our conversation continued, the caller would lower the amount of funding he was requesting. You read that correctly. 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 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. The caller said he was phoning on behalf of the Committee for Police Officers Defense. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. 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 . Up to June 2020, only 2% of the groups spending went toward political activities mainly for advertisements supporting President Donald Trumps reelection, according to data filed with the FEC. The robot voice saying the call would be recorded for record purposes sounded so real but it was just him. 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. Why does this matter? 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. The National Police Association is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization, IRS NTEE classification code B01, Alliance/Advocacy Organizations, within the Educational . (Santa Rosa, Calf.) And that is likely the point. I came across ScamPulse.com warning people about donating to the NPSF . Help us grow with a monthly contribution. In researching the organizations, I discovered numerous similar-sounding names for PACs raising funds for police officers. What can we learn from the latest Coinbase cyberattack? Especially after a tragedy or military-related event, fundraisers and causes show up on social media and people create crowdfunding campaigns to help those affected. National Police Defense Foundation has earned a 81% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. What should we investigate next? 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. Why does this matter? Super PACs are able to raise unlimited amounts of money, which they can use to advocate for political candidates or causes. What they do: The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League aims to minimize juvenile crime through outreach programs that pair officers with youth. 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. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. The Greenfield, Massachusetts, police department warned about the group last year as well. Legitimate charities can be checked on websites such as www.guidestar.org. Ask if the donation is tax-deductible. What they do: ThePolice Unity Tour raises funds and awareness for members of law enforcement who lost their lives during their service. 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.. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Another telemarketing employee reached by CNN in the Philippines confirmed this, saying he solicited money on behalf of the super PAC and the IUPA using audio recordings of someone who sounded like they were actually calling from America, and that most of the people they reached were elderly adding he felt it was a scam because they didnt realize what they were actually donating to. The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. 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). . The calls asking for donations come from aliases like the Police Officers Support Association and The National Coalition for Police & Troopers. 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 . The Police Unity Tour was founded in 1997 by Patrick Montuore, a police officer from New Jersey. Charity hustles work the same way. The Arizona Fraternal Order of Police is a real organization, but protect yourself and ask questions when you receive calls like these. 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 call was spoofed to appear to be from [a] Montana phone number, he wrote, noting that the caller did not identify the group as a political action committee, or super PAC, and telling his followers that it was not a nonprofit so donations are not tax deductible. Political organizations including both the Democratic and Republican parties are nonprofits. 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 - 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. Our mission is to promote the interests of our nation's police officers within our nation's political and public policy process. National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. January 11, 2019. When I asked which state this drive was for, the caller could not answer and instead said it is for a national charity. 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. Can the police officers count on you?. He paused for a few seconds and said "okay, bye" and hung up the phone. I quickly identified over 70 super PACs with police or law enforcement in their names. 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. Also Check: Do You Have To Pay For A Police Report. Also in Massachusetts, a Wilmington police officer received a call soliciting donations. And the Morton Police Department in Illinois posted on Facebook about calls from a mysterious phone number with a local area code last year. I did satisfy my rather small donation at their website https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com . 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. About $1.8 million went toward the salaries of union officials, including $199,700 for Cabral, the president. 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. This would allow me a chance to talk to your wife about considering further contributions. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one association, two coalitions and one support fund). It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. Eagerly he asked if I was comfortable with that amount. I recently took about a dozen of these police-support calls to hear the pitches. I also learned that they were sued in the biggest FTC case in history. Join AARP for just $9 per yearwhen you sign up for a 5-year term. To raise awareness of Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the line of duty. I told him that there is no such thing as a National Police Trust Fund. 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. 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. 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. He said his father has always leaned heavily Democratic, supported President Barack Obama and previously expressed strong anti-Trump views. Have a problem?Send me an email, at jmatarese@wcpo.com or message me on Facebook. The call came to Get Gephardt to investigate who exactly it is that's making those calls. I did not feel comfortable giving the information over the phone . I received a call today from someone from The National Police Support Fund, who claimed to be collecting money for a drive. The organization also participates in advocacy work to emphasize some of the dangers law enforcement officers face, and the sacrifices they make to protect society. And soon, you say, sure, why not? 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.. 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. That is equivalent to 2.7 percent of the $2.7 million the organization raised from donors that year, according to its federal tax return. Im calling on behalf of the National Save the Police Fund,* the voice on the phone told me. Ways to contribute: You can contribute to the Police Unity Tour by donating through their website. Read Also: Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, 2021 KnowYourPolice.net For anyone interested in supporting law enforcement, experts say, think local. 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. 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.