In fact, they count on the confusion to gather contributions. You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. Full Credit: The charity's audited financials were prepared by an independent accountant with an audit oversight committee. The source of the funding information was OpenSecrets, a database that tracks spending in U.S. politics run by the Center for Responsive Politics. on Facebook, Share committee for police officers' defense. 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. This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. A previous BBB investigation revealed many red flags about one of these groups, including the fact that contributions are not tax-deductible, and no information is available on the organizations president, board members, and active chapters. If youve been the victim of a charity scam, help others avoid the same fate by reporting your experience at BBB.org/scamtracker. 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. In some cases, the charity has a name that includes a law enforcement word (police, trooper, etc.). (More) Rating Information Very poor This charity's score is 49%, earning it a Zero-Star rating. 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 strong political stance against politicians, activist judges, prosecutors, district attorneys and a host of others that work against our law enforcement. In some cases, the "charity" has a name that includes a law enforcement word . The union has previously come under fire for hiring allegedly deceptive telemarketers and costly fundraising efforts that benefited its own organization and a police charity it operates. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. Opt-out: The charity has a written privacy policy published on its website which enables donors to tell the charity to remove their names and contact information from lists the charity shares or sells. 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. The super PAC said on Facebook in September that it had placed this billboard in multiple locations throughout Wisconsin and that more would be coming. Many donors say they believed they were supporting a charity that helps local officers. Give the page a little longer to finish Only the very small amount left, may get to the people who actually need it! Here are some things you can do to avoid donating to a fake charity: Pay attention to the charity's name. 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. The first thing I noticed was that I wasnt talking to live people; the answers all sounded scripted and recorded. All the suspicious sites that Guardio blocks are mostly encountered by you when clicking on unknown links in emails, social media scams, popups, and ads. If you are about to engage doing business on this site, caution is mandatory. Nonprofit however does not mean they are a charity. It sounded like the solicitor was calling from a boiler room, where individuals dial from a list of working phone numbers. 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. Committee for Police Officers' Defense Launches Petition in Support of Officers and Their Families /PRNewswire/ -- The Committee for Police Officers' Defense, the political arm of Police. 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. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. Are you just about to make a purchase online? That goal is to help police officers fight against the continuing "War on Cops" by taking a varied political stance against politicians, activist judges, prosecutors, district attorneys and a host of others who try to bring police officers down by any means. 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. 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. Our mission is benevolent and educational. The percentages spent by these charities on direct aid to victims range from 0% to a high of only 11.10%. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. No legitimate fundraising effort is so urgent that if you do not make your contribution right at that moment someone will suffer. 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. National Police Defense Foundation cannot currently be evaluated by our Leadership & Adaptability methodology because we have not received data from the charity regarding its leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes.Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization. Can the police officers count on you?. Committee for Police Officers Defense | Average Joe Weekly Kids Wish Network, however, spends only 3 cents of every dollar collected on kids. Our Scam Detector's VLDTR tool used 53 powerful factors to research the website's Police Officers niche and see if it's safe. You can get the dealHERE or by clicking the button below. An unsolicited call shows up on the Caller ID from someone claiming to be representing a nonprofit organization. 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. Is www.committeeforpoliceofficersdefense.com a scam? loading and try your donation again. We meet regularly with elected Congressmen and Senators to improve both police officer safety and the safety and security in our communities. Con artists refer to what they do as a hustle. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence. It definitely needs certain improvements. 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.. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories: Yes: This charity has a written donor privacy policy published on its website, which states unambiguously that (1) it will not share or sell a donor's personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations or (2) it will only share or sell personal information once the donor has given the charity specific permission to do so. That goal is to help police officers fight against the continuing War on Cops by taking a varied political stance against politicians, activist judges, prosecutors, district attorneys and a host of others who try to bring police officers down by any means. Bass, who set up several other super PACs, declined to comment. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. 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. Lots of different special interest groups are nonprofits, including some private businesses that pay their executives quite well. The "Committee for Police Officer's Defense" (CPOD) was configured in order to help police officers fight against the continuing "War on Cops." We take a varied political stance against politicians, activist judges, prosecutors, district attorneys and a host of others who try to bring police officers down by any means. (Less). He was donating to anyone who asked him for money, he said. We support and defend the law enforcement profession and those law enforcement officers who have devoted their lives to upholding the Constitution and serving the United States and its citizens while enforcing its laws. As www.committeeforpoliceofficersdefense.com belongs to the Police Officers niche, we tried scraping a bit of content from the website, see below: The Committee for Police Officers Defense (CPOD) was configured in order to complete an intrinsic goal. The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. Cautionary Tales of Today's Biggest Scams. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years. Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have. What should we investigate next? National Police Defense Foundation has earned a 81% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. 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. Trade groups like those that represent the fast food or soft drink producers operate as nonprofits. Email us: watchdog@cnn.com. Surfshark has a super powerful antivirus program. 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). The scripts were designed to give the impression that they were helping out officers versus lobbying efforts, he said, adding that the political affiliation was only fully disclosed when someone proactively asked where the money would be going. Minimal Doubts. is committee for police officers' defense legit - Kazuyasu 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. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories: Full Credit: There has been no diversion of assets within the last two years. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO, Association for Firefighters and Paramedics, Operation Lookout National Center for Missing Youth, United States Deputy Sheriffs Association, American Foundation For Disabled Children, Disabled Police Officers Counseling Center, National Narcotic Officers Associations Coalition, American Foundation for Children With AIDS, Roger Wyburn- Mason & Jack M Blount Foundation for Eradication of Rheumatoid Disease, Trust your instinct and always do your research before committing to. Check this: they hide your online searches, which means you will get only organic search results, without tracking and follow-up ads. This all looks very peculiar, said Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School who specializes in campaign finance. There are no guarantees that working with an adviser will yield positive returns. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one association, two coalitions and one support fund). We will expose those who prosecute police officers as a stepping stone to their next higher political office. We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charitys success. They do disclose, however, that of the nearly $10 million raised, the super PAC gave more money back to the union roughly $350,000 for office, operational and overhead expenses than the $173,500 it spent on political activities between January 2019 and June 2020. That means of a $35 donation, no more than $3.50 goes to their stated cause. If they are PACs, the fundraising effort is politically motivated and wont necessarily support San Diego-area officers or deputies or their families. This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. They all require time and patience to learn and implement. The Giving Basket is having some issues. For more information on fraud prevention, you can check out the following educational articles: Phishing Scams: Full List Ambush, murder of law enforcement officers has been on the increase over the last 3 years, applications to become officers have dropped. I looked up one called Law Enforcement for a Safer America PAC, which seemed to be especially active, based on Nomorobos monitoring. Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component. Guardio has over a million users and while it is affordable for the benefits it provides (just a few dollars a month), it covers up to 5 family members. In this case, we deduct 15 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. SmartAsset Advisors, LLC ("SmartAsset"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Financial Insight Technology, is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICE DEFENSE, INCL (NCPD) HELPS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AFTER AN ON-DUTY CASTASTROPHE, BY PROVIDING SUPPORT AND RESOURCES DURING THE LEGAL Total Revenue and Expenses - Data Available, IRS Published Data (Business Master File) - Data Available, Data Sources (IRS Forms 990) - Data Available. 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. National Center for Police Defense Inc. - Charity Navigator Multiple voices could be heard in the background. According to its website, the Police Officer Defense Alliance is a Non-Partisan, federally registered Political Action Committee. 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. Is The Police Officers Support Association Legitimate I quickly identified over 70 super PACs with police or law enforcement in their names. (Less). 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. Charity watchdog organizations say no more than 35% of donations should go to fundraising costs. Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. Each organization says it is spending money for police officers being abused and unfairly targeted. On each call, my questions about how donations got spent mostly went unanswered. 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Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website, Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15), Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). 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. Before you make a contribution to any organization it is wise to know who they are and what they do. Here is why you should get it now: Awesome, right? The Reading Police Department in Massachusetts described the Police Officers Support Association as a "scam 'charity'" last year. An excerpt of the petition page reads "We believe in supporting families that have given the ultimate sacrifice. Your donation attempt encountered a problem. 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. These organizations raised almost $1 billion for corporate fundraisers. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. Political organizations including both the Democratic and Republican parties are nonprofits. We now pass you the mic. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence. It offers you effective protection from viruses and zero-day threats, a lightweight, clean, and easy-to-use app, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Wow! Sign the petition here: https://bit.ly/defend-police. 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. Feel free to share this page using the buttons provided at the top. Last but not least, Surfshark offers 76% off + two months free to the Scam Detector readers. Your email address will not be published. This Florida-based union touts its federal lobbying efforts on behalf of local members. California resident Kellie Van Westen, 69, said she has family members who are law enforcement officers and that she believed the roughly $1,400 she donated since 2019 would help bolster local police budgets and pay for equipment to keep them safe.. The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. 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.. Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Below are a few tips for screening for legitimate charities. They would have soundboards with prerecorded bits that would play and give the impression they were talking to a live person but in reality it was just someone playing bits off a soundboard, he said. On the other hand, it could be your public reviews, which are impactful. Per the Police Officers Support Association website, it is a Political Action Committee and states, The PAC advocates for legislative efforts to improve the safety and wellness of Law Enforcement Officers. They are the tragi-charities. Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Law School professor specializing in campaign finance and political corruption, said the fact that the super PAC had spent such a huge proportion of its contributions on its own expenses was jaw dropping and that it was equally concerning to hear that fundraisers were going after the elderly who they may consider easy marks.. Law enforcement has a tough enough job without having to put up with charlatans masquerading as heroes. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. One Daughters Fight Against Charity Fraud, Exclusive Walgreens Cash rewards for members, AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia: Vacation Packages, Members save when booking a flight vacation package, AARP Identity Theft Protection powered by Norton, Up to 53% off comprehensive protection plans, AARP Online Fitness powered by LIFT session, Customized workouts designed around your goals and schedule, SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS. You can also have the choice of typing the names of suspicious pages in the comments section below. There are a number of websites where you can check the status of a nonprofit. How To Report Phone Scams. National Police Defense Foundation reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as: National Police Defense Foundation cannot currently be evaluated by our Culture & Community methodology because we have not received data from the charity regarding its Constituent Feedback or Equity Practices strategies.Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization. The Committee for Police Officers Defense, the telemarketers who called me, applied for tax exemption in California. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. We highly encourage our followers to verify who they are making donations to when contacted for fundraisers.. These are Americas heroes. Videos on its site show cities in flames and say that officers have been injured during what the group describes as riots presumably referring to recent Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. Law Enforcement for a Safer America officials did not return repeated requests for comment. Is www.committeeforpoliceofficersdefense.com legit? For anyone interested in supporting law enforcement, experts say, think local. Did you encounter any technical issues? from 8 AM - 9 PM ET. The IRShas pretty broad rules for being a nonprofit organization. Copyright 2023 Scam Detector Media Inc.. All Rights Reserved. How Much Do I Need to Save for Retirement? 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. More detailed information is available to members. The Tampa Bay Times and The Center for Investigative Reportingput a list together in 2013 of the 50 worst charities in America. Ask our Home Buying expert. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage. FEC filings show that of the group's minimal political spending, most has gone toward pro-Trump advertising such as billboards. A hustle is like the 70s disco dance. The vast majority of donations since 2019 were under $200, meaning the funds came from tens of thousands of donors. A day or two or even a week is not going to make a difference. 7:35 AM EDT, Fri October 16, 2020. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. How a donor can have themselves removed from a list differs from one charity to the next, but any and all opt-out policies require donors to take specific action to protect their privacy. Charity Navigator - Rating for Life Legal Defense Foundation Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount: Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure. Why does this matter? She said she was told the group was a charity benefiting police and troopers. The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). California Police Youth Charities Total Overhead: 90.8% Management & General Expenses: 6.1% Fundraising Expenses: 84.6% CEO Compensation: $75,900 Number 15 on the list is California Police Youth. In the wake of tragedies large and small, they pop up like mushrooms after a rain. The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. In this situation, we deduct 7 points from the charity's Accountability and Transparency score. Best Items to Donate to an Animal Shelter, Donors Prefer Charities that Earn All Four Beacons. BBB ScamTracker received reports about alleged charities using tactics that consumers believe are using shady tactics to solicit donations. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. I later learned the organization is based in Fairfax, VA, and is a political action committee, or PAC. No Credit: There has been a diversion of assets within the last two years and the charity's explanation on Schedule O is either non-existent or not sufficient. The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). The percentage each beacon contributes to the organizations overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned. You're faster than our page! Committee for Police Officers' Defense Learn more about our criteria and methodology. SmartAssets services are limited to referring users to third party advisers registered or chartered as fiduciaries ("Adviser(s)") with a regulatory body in the United States that have elected to participate in our matching platform based on information gathered from users through our online questionnaire. Campaign finance data, however, shows that about 98% of the money spent is not being used for this mission. Simply enter the organization's name (National Police Defense Foundation) or EIN (133830191) in the 'Search Term' field.
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