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 charities claimed to help police and run educational programs. American Police Officers Alliance is a tax-exempt political entity registered under Section 527 with the IRS, and contributions are not tax deductible. I am advised that amended reports are being prepared for filing with the FEC that will correct these mistakes by removing Donor Relations.. A 5 On Your Side viewer got one of those calls recently, asking him to support the National Police and Troopers Association. As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content. Find contact information: Online. The [Florida Highway Patrol] Command Officers Association would like to thank you for your interest in our organization, one group warns on its website. The union does not count these expenditures as fundraising expenses. Many of us have been receiving phone calls trying to get our Social Security numbers. In October, it held its annual golf tournament in Venice, Florida. One company, Grassroots Fund Group LLC of Middletown, N. J., received about $15.000; a second company, Residential Programs Inc. of Eatontown, N.J., received about $31,000. Call the number on the Social Security Administration website or IRS website and talk to them, but none of those agencies will ever ask for your information over the phone so that should be your first sign it's a scam," she said. The PAC's goal is to advocate on behalf of the LEO's that have done so much for our great country. About $5.5 million of the $8.8 million in the groups expenses that year was spent on fundraising. The fund is one of several organizations related to the International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO, itself a nonprofit based in Sarasota, Florida, that represents local chapters of police unions across the country. The PACs drawalmostalloftheir money fromsmall-dollar donors. The percentage of money spent by the organizations on direct cash aid ranged from 0% (National Narcotic Officers Associations Coalition) to 8.9% (American Association of State Troopers). NEVER provide personal or financial information to anyone who e-mails or calls you unsolicited. The organizations attorney, Holly E. Oliva-Van Horsten, did not respond to a follow-up email. The same address houses Donor Relations LLC, the fundraising firm used by the four PACs registered by Piaro. "A lot of people want to engage the scammer and keep them on the phone and have a little fun with them. Piaro said his PACs will support legislation on these causes by helping them with contributions for mailers, billboards, or anything like that, and he plans to start spending $200,000 to $300,000 on political activity once the groups have raised sufficient funds and do a sustained push during the 2020 election. All seven of the PACs paid businesses listing the same address as Donor Relations LLC in a Las Vegas strip mall and spent most of their money there, FEC spending records show. BBB provides objective advice, freeBBB Business Profileson more than 5.3 million companies, 11,000charity reviews, dispute resolution services, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. You need to know that this money is not going to our local police and fire departments. Three firms combined to receive89 percentof American Veterans Initiative in the 2020 cycle American Payment Services of Fairmont, WV; Central Technology Services ofDubois, PA; and United DataServicesof Wichita, KS. In general, state police officers or highway patrol officers, known as state troopers, perform functions that do not fall within the jurisdiction of the county sheriff (Vermont being a notable exception), such as . But the bulk of its revenue $16.2 million came from donors across the country, which it spent about $14.8 million to raise. Ask the caller to provide the information in writing. Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises area residents to be cautious of phone calls or mailers soliciting donations to theNational Police Support Fund, an organization that describes itself as a grassroots movement of Americans united to support their political action activities. The caller knows your name and it is intimidating when they mention the local police. Most of the money the nonprofit charity raises winds up with telemarketers paid to solicit donors. Answer (1 of 10): Why do truckers call police 'smokies'? Sign up to receive our freeWatchdog email newsletter, a weekly roundup from Public Integrity journalists. Why does the International Union of Police Associations contract with these telemarketers? In October 2017 I received an unsolicited call on my cell phone from "the American Police Officers Alliance". When it became clear that Fox wasnt going to make a donation, the caller eventually told him to have a nice day and hung up the phone. 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. The union did not allow Public Integrity to photograph the event, citing the need to protect the identities of active-duty law enforcement officers. (A publicly available event brochure features photographs of dozens of 2018 golf tournament attendees.). Theres another scam out there. They work in many areas including fish and game, boating, wildlife management and parks and forests. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time. The complaint also alleged that Dierks and LeConte had filed inaccurate registration and IRS forms that made it appear they spent more money than they did on programming expenses to help police officers. 24- and 48-Hour Reports of independent expenditures aren't included. But with subpar vocational training at most prisons, many former offenders are desperate to work in call centers and withhold information about their criminal records. The Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund is there immediately to support our public safety officers in their greatest time of need, Cabral wrote in a recent fundraising document. 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 became suspicious of the solicitation after making an initial pledge of $15. And fines of $224,660 were imposed against the United States Deputy Sheriffs' Association in five states. A call sign is how a police officer is identified while they are patrolling the streets in their cars and reporting to crime scenes. At one point, the International Union of Police Associations seemed well-positioned to be a powerful voice among police unions. The big picture is Florida has this great statute, but zero enforcement, so its just words, words, words.. Unfortunately, our local officials actually go along with this. There are many Police organizations that due good work for and in their communities, take the time to verify you been contacted by one of the real agencies if you want to help. When Fox asked the caller to send him literature about making a donation in the mail, the representative instead repeatedly pressed for his credit card information, Fox said. The top sponsorships are $100, $50 or $35. The police association and the vendor (caller) are both private organizations with no accountability to the public. In the first six months of 2021,neither group appeared to spend anything on veterans or police. The organization once ran a phone room in Lakeland, Florida, about 80 miles northeast of Sarasota. Eventually, several years after Ackloo quit her job, the employees of the unions phone room attempted to unionize themselves, according to documents alleging unfair labor practices filed with the National Labor Relations Board, which Public Integrity obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. 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A Georgia State Patrol trooper was shot on Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Public Safety confirmed. 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. Greg Hertling of Ocean, N. J. is CEO and owner of Residential Programs; Lee Ostrowsky is listed as president of the company. This is a BETA experience. Troopers SHARE Overview The Uniform Force of the New York State Police is made up of more than 3,500 men and women. But a lot of people don't have time or are just afraid to do it, so I think they got to live vicariously through us," Stephens told Durham ABC station WTVD. Dierks received $8,000 for research consulting from the two PACs he formed Americans for Police and Trooper Safety and Cops and Kids Together in the first three months of 2018. These People Vote and Some are Elected Officials! Start With Trust. Police Captain Ann Stephens receives a scam phone call on August 27, 2019 in Apex, N.C. in Las Vegas had provided services to federal campaigns or PACs, FEC records show. The caller, 31-year-old Sarah Zoelle, pleaded for help. There is no record of Donor Relations or any other business at that address doing federal political work before 2017, according to the FEC. Whenever possible, donate directly to an organization and not through a fundraising telemarketer or a direct mail solicitation. A BBB investigation has been unable to determine who is behind the National Police Support Fund or details on how the group intends to spend its donations. Official websites use .gov 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. In your local telephone directory under Police Departments or Local Governments

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