The Committee for Police Officers' Defense (CPOD) is a nonprofit political organization focused on helping police officers fight against the continuing "War on Cops" by taking a In 1974, Maryland became the first state to pass a Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights, giving police protections that made it harder to hold them accountable. Police charity calling for donations, but is it real and where does the money go? NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICE DEFENSE INC - ProPublica National Center for Police Defense, Inc isnt only about legal defense for Law Enforcement. Instead, the money makes its way to a new nonprofit based in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Star reports. The Police Officers Support Alliance shows every indication of being a scam. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Yet more money flowed to another company with a connection to Dierks. Learn more about our criteria and methodology. The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. Fox said his office has received several complaints about the group and has opened an investigation. The website soliciting funds for Arpaio says, Liberals have targeted Sheriff Joe Arpaio with a multi-million dollar lawsuit because he was upholding the law of the land. The initial paperwork for two of the PACs bears the name of a former charity operator, David Dierks, who has been sued by attorneys general in multiple states. <25 Employees . But the California attorney generalsued the charities, Dierks and LeConte in 2009, alleging, among other things, that donors were told their contributions would benefit their local police departments when they did not, and that potential donors were led to believe they were being solicited by current or retired police officers calling from inside their state, when that was not the case. Several of the people and entities involved in the new PACs have been investigated for alleged fraud and other illegal practices in the charity sphere. Committee for Police Officers' Defense The Jan. 6 committee didn't reach out to the Secret Service in the days before it aired explosive testimony about an alleged physical altercation between Donald Trump and his security detail on . After investigation, the BBB found no listing for this charity with bbb.give or Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org), which means that there's no trail to determine where the money actually goes or if it is at all deductible via an IRS letter of determination. The FEC has dismissed past complaints lodged by candidates who felt that PACs had misrepresented themselves to raise money using their names. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. The citizen was knowledgeable enough to know it was a bad idea to provide this information, and did not fall for the scam. They paid the vast majority of that money, $1.9 million, to Donor Relations for fundraising expenses. Complaints to the Better Business Bureau about pushy telemarketers and deceptive mailers are coming in from all over the country. 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. Our mission is to promote the interests of our nations police officers within our nations political and public policy process. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) If you begin asking specific questions about the organization or how the money will be used, the caller may not answer and may be told to call a different number where your questions are also deflected or evaded. The two groups spent 90 percent of their funds, nearly $1.7 million, with three businesses there: American Technology Service, Compliance Consultants LLC and Unified Data Services LLC. Organizations that demonstrate consistent annual growth in program expenses are able to outpace inflation and thus sustain their programs year to year. Here are tips to prevent robocalls, Riggins said. When POLITICO called Americans for Police and Trooper Safetys listed phone number, the person who answered said she represented multiple companies but declined to identify them. THE POLICE OFFICERS' DEFENSE COALITION WORKS TO BRIDGE THE GAP AND BUILD A MOVEMENT MADE UP OF CIVILIANS, ACTIVE, AND RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, AND POLITICIANS TO PROTECT THE MEN AND WOMEN IN Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting, Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website, Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website. NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICE DEFENSE INC. FAIRFAX, VA 22030-5160 | Tax-exempt since Sept. 2015. The person that I talked to made no mention of this being a political organization or any kind of advocacy organization that was going to spend money on politics or policy. I was getting 3, 4, 5 calls a day, he said. As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. According to the report, the caller said he was able to take a donation for the fundraising effort immediately, right over the phone with a credit card, even transferring the citizen to a woman. Dierks and officers for the two PACs registered by him Americans for Police and Trooper Safety and Cops and Kids Together did not respond to requests for comment for this story. According to a state police news release, troopers at Alpena Post recently received a call from a concerned citizen who reported receiving a phone call from a man claiming to be a chief of a law enforcement department, who wanted to speak to the call recipient about making a contribution to the Fraternal Order of Police in Alpena as part of a fundraising effort. American police officers alliance - Shack Feel It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. POLICE OFFICERS DEFENSE ALLIANCE PAC - committee overview | FEC - FEC.gov According to its website, the Police Officer Defense Alliance is a Non-Partisan . Is The Police Officers Support Association Legitimate Beginning in 1990, according to court records, Dierks and another individual, named Phil LeConte, ran several charities, with names including the American Association of Police Officers Inc., Veteran Police Association Inc., Police Protective Fund Inc. and Junior Police Academy. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. The nearly identical-sounding PAC started by Piaro has been a real headache for the organization, Hanson said. Box 663 Butler, WI 53007 Visit Website (833) 878-5783 Average of 30 Customer Reviews 26 9 File a Complaint BBB Rating & Accreditation This business is not BBB. Their activities highlight an unpleasant truth: Political groups often receive less oversight and get more leeway than charities, even though they have to disclose more details about their donations and spending. Black Lives Matter supporters tried to kill Sgt. Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Heres how the scam works: an unsolicited call shows up on the Caller ID from someone claiming to be representing a nonprofit organization. In an interview, Piaro said the high fundraising costs will help his PACs get off the ground. Frequently Asked Questions - American Police Officers Alliance Mailing address: 8228 FAWN MEADOW AVE LAS VEGAS, NV 89149. But Piaro confirmed in a previous interview that he had in fact hired Donor Relations to raise money for his PACs. Is an organization that supports police for donations a charity If you wish to donate, please refresh the page. Police Officers' Defense Coalition Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting, Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website, Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years. | Police Officer Defense Fund Inc Milwaukee, Wisconsin American Police Officers Alliance - Fight for those who Protect our Scam phone calls "American Police Officers Alliance". Qualified Immunity Is Burning a Hole in the Constitution Contributions made to The Committee for Police Officers' Defense. Committee for Police Officers' Defense. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website, All organizations except 501(c)(3) (BMF foundation code: 00), Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). Altogether, the seven PACs spent nearly 85 percent of the $5.9 million they raised through March. Political Action Committees are perfectly legal, but a number of people like Charlie Lewis, who sent in a complaint to the BBB, say the phone calls they get represent PODA as a charity. But Donor Relations and its president, Richard Zeitlin, were already under investigation for actions while fundraising for charities. This business calls continuously and refuses to take me off their call list after numerous such requests by me. While he is not a Las Vegas cop anymore, 2020 FEC filings show Pollack is still raising money, and still paying the same telemarketers. In just the 3 rd quarter of 2018, NPSF spent over $422,000 dollars to Residential Programs for services that include carrier minutes and dialer expenses, consumer data, postage and freight, tele-fundraising, technology services, direct mail fundraising, caging and escrow and other professional fees. National Center for Police Defense Inc., (NCPD) also encompasses National Center for Police & Military Defense (NCP&MD), Copyright All Rights Reserved. We lost that grant unfortunately, current Veterans Assistance Foundation President Christopher Hanson said in an interview. The Giving Basket is having some issues. THE POLICE OFFICER DEFENSE FUND INC. "THE PODF" A Nonprofit Charitable 501(c)(3) 2515 West Whitaker Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53221 1-414-282-6720 If you receive such a call, we encourage you to take note of who is calling , the date and time. "A call to Mr. Savage and review of his Facebook page revealed he has no association with this robocalling group or groups," Riggins said in a news release. Contributions to the Police Officers Support Association PAC are not charitable contributions and are not deductible as charitable contributions for state and federal income tax purposes. 'Scam PACs' rake in millions under guise of charity - POLITICO The National Police Associations website says it is a 501 3 non-profit, but its come under fire from multiple police departments across the country, who say it is a scam. Florida. National Center for Police Defense, Inc. is about help! galaxy s22 ultra s view flip cover support@missionbadlaav.com; withings account already exists Menu. It appears that the company hired to make and file various quarterly reports with the FEC mistakenly listed Donor Relations on those reports, in spite of the fact that Donor Relations doesnt have anything to do with those PACs, or any other PACs, for that matter. The latest calls come from 631-964-9293 which shows on caller ID as Deer Park NY. RCPD says its a scam and that money raised by this organization doesnt actually go to any local law enforcement initiatives. The BBB gave us a letter sent to one of the people who complained. | ksdk.com. Legal Defense Fund - California Statewide Law Enforcement Association And after his wife died in October of 2019, the calls didnt stop. committee for police officers' defense charity navigator To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that EIN: 47-3387615. According to reverse checking, the company's address 6650 W. State St. in Wauwatosa, WI is a UPS store. The two groups also paid $102,900 to Button Pusher Productions, a Southern California company, for management and media consulting. The case eventually reached a settlement in which Dierks and LeConte did not admit any wrongdoing. It will sometimes leave a message if you are not there. Please do your homework and avoid scams and misleading appeals for your hard-earned money. Time and time again we hear about people losing thousands of dollars to phone scams. But nearly all the money has gone to their own vendors and staff, as opposed to those causes hallmarks of so-called scam PACs. 54. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organizations overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned. I am advised that amended reports are being prepared for filing with the FEC that will correct these mistakes by removing Donor Relations.. Fraud Alert! Mission | Committee for Police Officers Defense It also lists an address for itself in Washington, DC. The Rank of the website you are interested in is: 51.8 Questionable. A telemarketing firm used by several of the PACs for fundraising, Donor Relations LLC, is being probed by the Federal Trade Commission for alleged deceptive practices while raising money for charities in the past, according to federal court records. Contact us: contact@knowyourpolice.net, Greensboro Police Officers Association calling on the city to show more support, Atlanta officer charged in Rayshard Brooks killing getting legal support from police defense fund, BBB calls law enforcement support scammers, How To Get Insurance Information From Police Report, Is National Police Association Legitimate, How Many Years Of College To Become A Police Officer, Wilmington, Massachusetts Police Department, How Long Does Take To Be A Police Officer, Can Police Pull You Over For No Insurance, Will Police Call You If You Have A Warrant, How To Apply To Be A Police Officer In California, How Many Hours To Become A Police Officer, How To Become A Police Officer Without A College Degree, What Are The Steps To Becoming A Police Officer, Does Smoking Weed Disqualify You From Becoming A Police Officer, How Many Police Officers Have Been Killed In 2020. P.O. Got a phone call from 860-716-0149 . In this situation, we deduct 7 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. The groups spent a higher share of their funds on operating expenses than 95 percent of all federal PACs that spent at least $100,000 in 2017 and 2018, FEC data show. But nearly all the money has gone to their own. The call was spoofed to appear to be from 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.
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