This person spoke broken english and told me to donate using credit card. 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. A 5 On Your Side viewer got one of those calls recently, asking him to support the National Police and Troopers Association.But before saying yes, he called us to ask if it was legit. An IRS report was filed on July 26. Fundraising calls are allowed even if your number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. The man on the other end of the phone is asking for money for the protection of police officers. Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. But almost no one was helped. Wendy Beckman got a call the other day from a man asking her to help retired police and firefighters. Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. So have we all. Write the names of the shady businesses in the comments section below, too. 4. Stated that donations were not tax-deductible. 4 talking about this. We strive to engage the public through political grassroots activity to support political interests that promote officer's interests. But whats the truth. 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. When a solicitor for one of these groups calls a prospective donor the pitch will include the truthful statement that they are a nonprofit organization. The caller said he was phoning on behalf of the Committee for Police Officers Defense. Theres just one week to go before the midterm election. Find out now: How much do I need to save for retirement? A: A 527 political organization is a party committee, association, fund, or other organization organized and operated primarily for the purpose of directly or indirectly accepting contributions or making expenditures for an exempt function. Founded in 1978, NAPO is the strongest unified . Use a search engine to look for " your state + charity list ". The application also included the name Police Officers Defense Coalition, as well as the Police Officers Defense Alliance. 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. The calls, which often target elderly donors, come from a variety of generic and similar-sounding aliases: The Police Officers Support Association, the National Emergency Responders Coalition and the National Coalition for Police & Troopers. 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 recently took about a dozen of these police-support calls to hear the pitches. 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. Email us: watchdog@cnn.com. . National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Key battles deserve tight alliances. Im calling on behalf of the National Save the Police Fund,* the voice on the phone told me. 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. When I googled the fund, a BBB caution was the first result. 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. Read Also: What Are The Best Police Boots, Read Also: How Do I Become A K9 Police Officer. 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. Cookie Notice During the pandemic, a plethora of fraudulent websites came out like a plague. If you require additional information, then call us 1-800-247-4872 or email us at: 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 5), donations are not tax deductible pursuant to IRC 170(c. A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to: The International Union of Police Associations, 5632 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 200 Sarasota, FL . So we can Verify, National Coalition for Police and Troopers is a site owned by a PAC, isn't a charitable organization. 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 . We don't engage in telemarketing. The first thing I noticed was that I wasnt talking to live people; the answers all sounded scripted and recorded. Around 200 consumer complaints have also been made to state and federal regulators about the super PAC, its aliases and related groups. An image from Law Enforcement For A Safer America PAC's Facebook page. And the Morton Police Department in Illinois posted on Facebook about calls from a mysterious phone number with a local area code last year. A warning tonight about a phone and mail scam asking for donations. If your phone rings, it's not us. Marine Toys for Tots Foundation (Triangle, Va.) Committee for Missing Children (Lawrenceville, Ga.) Prevent Child . 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. Msg&data rates may apply. Tax records show the Fotis organization that phoned me raised $75,000 in 2021, up from $50,000 the year before. The National Police Association is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization, IRS NTEE classification code B01, Alliance/Advocacy Organizations, within the Educational . 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. Years later, as the success of the . (Santa Rosa, Calf.) The calls asking for donations come from aliases like the Police Officers Support Association and The National Coalition for Police & Troopers. The recording says it is "Kenneth Allen from the National Police Support Fund" and they are asking for donations. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. By choosing the . I came across ScamPulse.com warning people about donating to the NPSF . Our mission is to promote the interests of our nation's police officers within our nation's political and public policy process. 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. We highly encourage our followers to verify who they are making donations to when contacted for fundraisers.. 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. Government documents show that the founding treasurer is currently an executive at the International Union of Police Associations. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. The Arizona Fraternal Order of Police is a real organization, but protect yourself and ask questions when you receive calls like these. American Association of State Troopers claims to support retired state troopers. Sadly, it comes down to their choice of words during a pitch; its unlawful to misrepresent how the money will be spent. For anyone interested in supporting law enforcement, experts say, think local. I asked them to mail me a bill instead and they did , I called the phone number on the letter and did not get a respond so I decided to go to their website . We support police officers who risk their lives daily protecting our communities. Whoops! At times, I thought they were maybe misguided, he said. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. We do not support nor do we condone this group, the post stated. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. With this in mind, the midterm election saw a new partnership between us, the National Police Support Fund, and the. Soft on Crime groups are targeting record numbers of individual law enforcement officers in law suits for police brutality. Promoting divisive rhetoric is detrimental to the public safety mission that requires any genuine law enforcement organization to be accountable to its constituents. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. The organization also has a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. Get a FREE subscription to AARP The Magazine. 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. This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. FEC regulations state that political committees can only deposit a contribution into their account if that money came from a solicitation which expressly states that the contribution will be used in connection with a Federal election or the solicitation discloses that contributions are subject to federal election law. 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. 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. 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. For more information, please refer to the IRS definition of Political Organization. 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.