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. National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. proudly complies with state regulations and required disclosures. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one association, two coalitions and one support 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. Consumer Protection. The Greenfield, Massachusetts, police department warned about the group last year as well. 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. Even if you like the idea, how do you know the call is legitimate? Why does this matter? 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. 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. We are entering the crucial last minutes of our ongoing struggle to defend police officers. The National Police Association is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization, IRS NTEE classification code B01, Alliance/Advocacy Organizations, within the Educational . 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 . Police Unity Tour. It also transferred $30,000 to another pro-police super PAC that the union operates, based on the officers listed on its filings. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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 National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. 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. 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. As a wife of a police officer this is absolutely disgusting! she stated. Our Police, Firefighters, and all First Responders do need our support. Read Also: What Are The Steps To Becoming A Police Officer. . "My brother was a police officer, my cousin was a cop and one of my sons is a cop," she said. Whether the website is from the same sector as nationalpolicesupportfund.com or not, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Operators who are so susprised it's scam. Each organization says it is spending money for police officers being abused and unfairly targeted. Our grassroots organization was formed under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, which allows us to engage in political activity. 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. Below are our favorite charities for law enforcement: National Police Foundation. But almost no one was helped. If your phone rings, it's not us. She remembers news stories two years ago, about 67-year-old Jerry Hinkle, a Cincinnati man who raised thousands of dollars for the Shop with a Cop program, then admitted in court that he spent it on personal expenses (the case ended with a plea agreement). He said his father has always leaned heavily Democratic, supported President Barack Obama and previously expressed strong anti-Trump views. And the Morton Police Department in Illinois posted on Facebook about calls from a mysterious phone number with a local area code last year. Entire local police unions, which negotiate collective bargaining agreements for their members, can choose to affiliate with the group. If it is a scam they are awfully convincing on the phone but are also rather forceful. The robot voice saying the call would be recorded for record purposes sounded so real but it was just him. Free online workshop! "As Pennsylvanians look to support [] And soon, you say, sure, why not? Join AARP for just $9 per yearwhen you sign up for a 5-year term. Our mission is to promote the interests of our nation's police officers within our nation's political and public policy process. It sounded like the solicitor was calling from a boiler room, where individuals dial from a list of working phone numbers. Email us: watchdog@cnn.com. 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 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. 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. About $1.8 million went toward the salaries of union officials, including $199,700 for Cabral, the president. So I would like to say just beware of scammers , Ive copied the letter I received so in hopes that people will know not to donate unless you are 109% sure it not a scam. These Are the 9 Best Charities for Law Enforcement in 2023. Ask for information, check sites like Charitynavigator.org and then if it all checks out, write that check. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. I did satisfy my rather small donation at their website https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com . They improvise and evolve to stay one step ahead of unsuspecting donors. But these telemarketers bombarding our phone lines? It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. The National Police Support Fund. 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.. 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. During the pandemic, a plethora of fraudulent websites came out like a plague. JW August is a San Diego-based broadcast and digital journalist. I was contacted in Wilton, CT by representatives of the National Police Support Fund. In the wake of tragedies large and small, they pop up like mushrooms after a rain. For example, in 2019, nearly 90% of the organizations income was spent on its programming. Our officers deserve our respect and support, the Super PACs website reads. 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. He of course provided a non-reassuring answer with no defence when the jig was up, and ended the call. . Ways to contribute: You can contribute to the Police Unity Tour by donating through their website. Terms & conditions/privacy policy apply https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com/terms-of-service/, Contributions to the National Police Support Fund are not tax deductible. What should we investigate next? 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. 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. But as I learned, these callers are masters at evading any such disclosure. Have a problem?Send me an email, at jmatarese@wcpo.com or message me on Facebook. Just change the state to your state and verify the charity is listed with your state attorney general's office, or another regulatory office (each state has different requirements). The man on the other end of the phone is asking for money for the protection of police officers. The usual claiming they were legitimate. (Santa Rosa, Calf.) "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. 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. The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. One very common hustle is the name game. To promote the prevention of juvenile crime and violence by building relationships among kids, cops and community through positive engagement. Registration with any of these state agencies does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by any state. You can find more information about "who is the National Police Support . For more information, please refer to the IRS definition of Political Organization. Tax records show the Fotis organization that phoned me raised $75,000 in 2021, up from $50,000 the year before. After I rejected he offered some booster donations of 15,25, 35 dollars to Goodwill or other organizations. Political organizations including both the Democratic and Republican parties are nonprofits. National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues. Find out now: How much do I need to save for retirement? 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. 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). 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. 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. 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. I received a call today from someone from The National Police Support Fund, who claimed to be collecting money for a drive. On each call, my questions about how donations got spent mostly went unanswered. It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. 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 Police Association advocates Support the Police, and Back the Blue, because Blue Lives Matter. AARP Membership - LIMITED TIME FLASH SALE. As our conversation continued, the caller would lower the amount of funding he was requesting. 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. She verified my information and repeatedly asked me to promise to mail it back as soon as I received it. Our movement is comprised of tens of thousands of Americans from all walks of life who are joined together by their common . 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. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. he transferred me to check my address. The I.U.P.A. The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. This section is used to influence public opinion in support of the interests of . He instead provided me with their national number. Published He could not answer. I recently took about a dozen of these police-support calls to hear the pitches. Recommended Reading: How To Become A Desk Police Officer, Also Check: Can Police Help Me Unlock My Car. He was super pushy trying to get me to donate for 75,95, 105 dollars. We use the funds raised from these activities to support elected officials, candidates, and organizations whose goals and values align with our own. The Arizona Fraternal Order of Police is a real organization, but protect yourself and ask questions when you receive calls like these. For example, in the tax year that ended March 2018, the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund gave 11 families an average of $6,545 apiece. Please let me know if there are any actions ScamPulse.com suggests I take other than ignore any future requests. So, the next time you get this call, hang up. 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. 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 latter is the name of the PAC I found earlier that had raised $3.2 million in contributions. We support police officers who risk their lives daily protecting our communities. National Police Defense Foundation has earned a 81% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. A donation of $10, $15 or $25 would help keep . 2023 Cable News Network. generic photos, there is no real content validating that they do anything to actually support the police. The case has not yet been resolved. But the groups file financial disclosures with federal regulators under only a handful of names. With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. Three other IUPA executives earned more than $100,000 apiece during fiscal 2017-2018. Instead, their contributions end up with a super PAC, Law Enforcement for a Safer America, which has ties to a controversial union and spends the majority of its money on its own operating costs. Law Enforcement for a Safer America has raked in nearly $10 million in donations from January 2019 to June 2020 . 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. 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. How a donation will be used, or how much of the donation actually goes to the charitys programs. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Police Officers Defense Alliance, for example, raised $3.2 million in 2020, and The American Police Officers Alliance raised $4.3 million. ', 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. And it's very easy to catch the eye of someone.". He was donating to anyone who asked him for money, he said. I said I do not donate over the phone, he said I did not need to they would mail me a pledge kit. The rest of the money has gone primarily to the firms helping it solicit donations including nearly $3 million in payments to one telemarketing company sued by the government last month for allegedly using deceptive tactics. Use a search engine to look for " your state + charity list ". Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Around 200 consumer complaints have also been made to state and federal regulators about the super PAC, its aliases and related groups. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Many donors say they believed they were supporting a charity that helps local officers. We support police officers who risk their lives daily protecting our communities. "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. He said he wanted a contribution for the police department and man and women who are fighting to protect us. The caller said he was phoning on behalf of the Committee for Police Officers Defense. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. What should we investigate next? 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. 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. 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. She said she was told the group was a charity benefiting police and troopers. January 11, 2019. 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.

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