But none of the money being raised actually goes to police departments, according to government records. 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 . This Florida-based union touts its federal lobbying efforts on behalf of local members. 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. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. I also learned that they were sued in the biggest FTC case in history. 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.. A secretive political group has been pulling in millions of dollars in recent months amid a growing Blue Lives Matter movement, with a cadre of telemarketers urgently telling Americans that now is the time to support the police and keep them safe. Legitimate charities can be checked on websites such as www.guidestar.org. Ask if the donation is tax-deductible. During the pandemic, a plethora of fraudulent websites came out like a plague. "Being that it was a recording right off the bat . "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. One woman received a call from the . 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. Mostly they are the products of individual scammers who smell an opportunity to cash in using the name of a victim who may or may not even be real. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee.Paid for by National Police Support Fund, Inc. |Privacy & Refund Policy| Sitemap, Biggest Issues Facing Police Officers Today. On its donate page, the NPA boasts of its work to preserve the American way of life and fight back against cop-haters. Please note that many legitimate local (and unaffiliated) police foundations and organizations may solicit donations from local communities via telephone and mail. Here are a few ideas to help you give safely: Con artists refer to what they do as a hustle. Have a problem?Send me an email, at jmatarese@wcpo.com or message me on Facebook. "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. Fake joke to start out. For the record, on their website, it never calls itself a charity or non . Contributions are not tax deductible. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. Read Also: How Do You Know If The Police Are Investigating You. Required fields are marked *. 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. I told him I did not have any money to donate at the moment. Please reload the page and try again. Gotten calls like this? The Police Unity Tour was founded in 1997 by Patrick Montuore, a police officer from New Jersey. Individual officers can also become members, according to its website. Founded in 1978, NAPO is the strongest unified . Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. That link will take you to Illinois, where I live. These Are the 9 Best Charities for Law Enforcement in 2023. To promote the prevention of juvenile crime and violence by building relationships among kids, cops and community through positive engagement. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. The fundraisers connection to the charity. 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. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. 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. How to report a scammer? An IRS report was filed on July 26. On each call, my questions about how donations got spent mostly went unanswered. 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. Its been a tough couple years for local law enforcement. Contributions made to National Police Support Fund are not tax-deductible. This all looks very peculiar, said Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School who specializes in campaign finance. He said he wanted a contribution for the police department and man and women who are fighting to protect us. Join AARP for just $9 per yearwhen you sign up for a 5-year term. Just want you notified that they are calling on area code 203 #s in CT now. The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. 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. A profit according to Investopedia.com is revenue that exceeds expenses. It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. The group's videos have received few views, but money has been pouring in. We strive to engage the public through political grassroots activity to support political interests that promote officer's interests. She verified my information and repeatedly asked me to promise to mail it back as soon as I received it. Here are some things you can do to avoid donating to a fake charity: Pay attention to the charity's name. With this in mind, the midterm election saw a new partnership between us, the National Police Support Fund, and the. Together, the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund and the International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO, have spent about $82.3 million 77 percent of their operating expenditures on fundraising services from around 2011 to March 2018, according to a Public Integrity analysis of annual tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue . Our movement is comprised of tens of thousands of Americans from all walks of life who are joined together by their common . 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. 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.. The IRS has pretty broad rules for being a nonprofit organization. Dont send your money to a national group collecting for causes that may not always be clear. 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. 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 to donate money for your police or fire department, send your contribution to the local sheriff or chiefs directly. 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. I told him that there is no such thing as a National Police Trust Fund. 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. highest-volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets, A caregiver discovers questionable charities are targeting her parents for their money, Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term -43% off the standard annual rate, Access exclusive discounts, programs, & services, Double down with a FREE second membership. Phony Firefighters Scam. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A Warner Bros. . Bass, who set up several other super PACs, declined to comment. All Rights Reserved. The groups videos have received few views, but money has been pouring in. Leaving politics aside for a minute, how do you know if those calls are legitimate? The Committee for Police Officers Defense, the telemarketers who called me, applied for tax exemption in California. But other charities lie about what they do with donations or how much they spend on programs. In fact, they count on the confusion to gather contributions. I quickly identified over 70 super PACs with police or law enforcement in their names. That means of a $35 donation, no more than $3.50 goes to their stated cause, highest-volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets. Only one replied directly: 90 percent went to fundraising, and 10 percent went to police support. Did you encounter any technical issues? It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. Sara Kemerer of the . The scenario is all too familiar. 4 talking about this. 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. 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. When I googled the fund, a BBB caution was the first result. We are just passing along the information if you get a suspicious call asking for money for police officers.. We found a website for them, but it gives very little information about the organization and their mission. Hope Cancer Fund The Tampa Bay Times and The Center for Investigative Reporting broke the charities up into five main categories: children, cancer, police/law enforcement, veterans, fire and other. This includes marketing and outreach to supporters and communities, grassroots political efforts, and digital marketing efforts. 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. Theres just one week to go before the midterm election. Now, the last thing I want to do is discourage you from giving to causes you care about, like supporting police. One of the more successful scams is when the scammer poses as one of many charities benefitting Law Enforcement. 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. "So I really want to support the police for what they do.". 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. The charitys programs focus primarily on education, mentorship, and athletic activities that empower youth. At times, I thought they were maybe misguided, he said. National Police Support Fund is dedicated to providing a united voice for true Americans who support our nation's law enforcement officers. A warning tonight about calls targeting people around the Tri-State asking them to help support the police. Also Check: Do You Have To Pay For A Police Report. 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. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. How a donation will be used, or how much of the donation actually goes to the charitys programs. proudly complies with state regulations and required disclosures. 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! These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues. Absolutely no legitimate law enforcement backed organization would stoop to this level of begging for money. As a wife of a police officer this is absolutely disgusting! she stated. You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. He instead provided me with their national number. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. 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. 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.

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