Can the police officers count on you?. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. Filed Jan. 29, 2020, 3:45 p.m. GMT. This all looks very peculiar, said Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School who specializes in campaign finance. Key battles deserve tight alliances. He of course provided a non-reassuring answer with no defence when the jig was up, and ended the call. Soft on Crime groups are targeting record numbers of individual law enforcement officers in law suits for police brutality. 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 . AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. Most of the money raised went to telemarketing 87 percent and other expenses. National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. The National Police Support Fund is a legitimate organization that supports the interests of America's law enforcement officers. 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. The I.U.P.A. Recommended Reading: How To Become A Desk Police Officer, Also Check: Can Police Help Me Unlock My Car. 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. by Michelle Diament, April 2008. AiThority Interview with Lori Anne, Director of Product Development & Management at Verizon, Branded Caller ID: The Pros And Cons In The Battle Against Phone Scams, A New Scam Is Making the Rounds Just in Time for Tax Season, Smishing: The new year is here and so are new scams. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. I found a few small line items labeled legislative services, but none that appeared to go directly to supporting police. One hit wonders seeking to cash in on the tragedy of the day from floods and fires to missing children and more. National Police Defense Foundation has earned a 81% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. Read our full report on the organization here, https://bit.ly/3xMbldo. 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items. So, the next time you get this call, hang up. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. But the groups file financial disclosures with federal regulators under only a handful of names. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. Simple: less scrutiny. The union has recently claimed to have more than 100,000 members, but the IUPA has reported around 20,000 members in tax filings. I received a call today from someone from The National Police Support Fund, who claimed to be collecting money for a drive. The cause sounds worthy: Please support your local firefighters (or police officers), the caller implores. National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues. Multiple voices could be heard in the background. On its donate page, the NPA boasts of its work to preserve the American way of life and fight back against cop-haters. 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. There have been calls circulating from a Police Officers Support Association asking for credit card donations. Videos on Law Enforcement for a Safer America's website show cities in flames and say that officers have been injured during what the group describes as riots. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. I confronted him that if they were legit, why it was that they are labeled as a scam operation. Our Police, Firefighters, and all First Responders do need our support. It also concerned him that so many prospects were elderly. Law enforcement has a tough enough job without having to put up with charlatans masquerading as heroes. This section is used to influence public opinion in support of the interests of . Wow! I again was transferred to another person who wanted my credit card info and stated due to covid they wanted to decrease handling and credit cards was the best way to donate. 4 talking about this. At times, I thought they were maybe misguided, he said. How much do I need to save for retirement? A warning tonight about a phone and mail scam asking for donations. Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. Also Check: How To File A Police Report For Id Theft, You May Like: How Do Police Deal With Homeless. 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. Here are a few ideas to help you give safely: Con artists refer to what they do as a hustle. @GunOwners. The application also included the name Police Officers Defense Coalition, as well as the Police Officers Defense Alliance. But their website and solicitations are designed to look and sound like Make a Wish. At least seven local police departments from around the country and a state attorney general have issued scam alerts and other notices about these fundraising efforts, warning residents in their communities as recently as this summer that they have no affiliation with this group. 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. Asking for donations to the National Police Support Fund. "My brother was a police officer, my cousin was a cop and one of my sons is a cop," she said. Being a generous person, she agreed to mail them $50. I asked him where the money goes. 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. SCAM: National Police Support Fund donation. HARRISBURG Attorney General Josh Shapiro is warning Pennsylvanians to be on the lookout for bogus fundraising calls that purport to benefit the families of Martin F. Mack and Branden T. Sisca, the two fallen Pennsylvania State Police troopers tragically killed in the line of duty on I-95 South in Philadelphia. The latter is the name of the PAC I found earlier that had raised $3.2 million in contributions. Law Enforcement for a Safer America has raked in nearly $10 million in donations from January 2019 to June 2020 . Dont send your money to a national group collecting for causes that may not always be clear. 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. 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. Law Enforcement for a Safer America officials did not return repeated requests for comment. Lots of different special interest groups are nonprofits, including some private businesses that pay their executives quite well. 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. This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. What should we investigate next? 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. 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. 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 . It sounded like the solicitor was calling from a boiler room, where individuals dial from a list of working phone numbers. Contact us: contact@knowyourpolice.net, SCAM: National Police Support Fund donation, How To Get Insurance Information From Police Report, Is National Police Association Legitimate, How Many Years Of College To Become A Police Officer, Do You Need A Degree To Become A Police Officer, What Are The Steps To Becoming A Police Officer, How Many Hours To Become A Police Officer, What Education Do I Need To Be A Police Officer, How Do You Know If The Police Are Investigating You. While some donors believe they are donating to . 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. In two words, its not. 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. Wow! In fact, as Ive previously , supporting law enforcement and supporting reform movements such as Black Lives Matter are not mutually exclusive. The man on the other end of the phone is asking for money for the protection of police officers. Police Protection Fund. To find out more about these organizations, I probed the FEC website, where super PACs report their activity. Below are our favorite charities for law enforcement: National Police Foundation. 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. 2. Here are some things you can do to avoid donating to a fake charity: Pay attention to the charity's name. Free online workshop! CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. So we can Verify, National Coalition for Police and Troopers is a site owned by a PAC, isn't a charitable organization. Its made up of series of regular steps timed to the beat of the music that can be improvised as needed. 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. Just as you sit down to dinner, the phone rings and the caller asks for a donation. The union has previously come under fire for hiring allegedly deceptive telemarketers and costly fundraising efforts that benefited its own organization and a police charity it operates. American Association of State Troopers claims to support retired state troopers. Read Also: Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, 2021 KnowYourPolice.net 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. ThePAC, organized by Zachary Bass, spent 90% of its take on fundraising, campaign filings show. For anyone interested in supporting law enforcement, experts say, think local. Multiple attempted calls from one number. But whats the truth. Gotten calls like this? Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. Founded in 1978, NAPO is the strongest unified . On 10/29/20 a man called to get pledges for national police support fund. Similarly, the Police Coalition of America, which promises "to enact positive change and legislation that protects our citizens as well as our law enforcement," spent $530,000 on . Registration with any of these state agencies does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by any state. On each call, my questions about how donations got spent mostly went unanswered. "The words police and words firefighter are not trademarked," Kemerer explained, "so it is very easy for scammers to use those names and create fake organizations. Charity hustles work the same way. 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. 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. A hustle is like the 70s disco dance. 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. 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. National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. "The National Police Support Fund is neither a 501(c)3 nor a 501(c)4 organization, but rather a political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. 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. As our conversation continued, the caller would lower the amount of funding he was requesting. 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 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.. 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. 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. Sadly, it comes down to their choice of words during a pitch; its unlawful to misrepresent how the money will be spent. It said callers were soliciting support for police officers but that the group was actually connected to a political action committee. Last month the National Police Association (NPA) filed an ethics complaint against Rachael Rollins, the new district attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts (who recently . 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/. The recording says it is "Kenneth Allen from the National Police Support Fund" and they are asking for donations. FEC filings show that of the group's minimal political spending, most has gone toward pro-Trump advertising such as billboards. 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. Police Unity Tour. 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. Woman suspicious after calls to help police. 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. I asked him if the organization supports Donald Trump. Nonprofit however does not mean they are a charity. 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. The Wilmington Police Department has no association with this organization and we have never even heard of them, stated a May release from the department. 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! 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. Contributions are not tax deductible. It spent $103,700 on behalf of House candidates about 3% of the total, and it has contributed nothing directly to veterans groups. The Committee for Police Officers Defense, the telemarketers who called me, applied for tax exemption in California.
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