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Indybay Feature

Unethical charity: California Organization of Police and Sheriffs (COPS)

by cp
After months of getting calls from the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs (COPS) insisting that I need to send them money for a pledge I never made, I finally looked up information about the group at the charities database run by the California state Attorney General's office. Commercial charities have recently been required by law to file general accounting documentation, stating their total revenue and the fraction that goes towards the charitable purpose.
cops.pdf_600_.jpg
COPS does fairly poorly, seeming to keep about 85% of revenue for salaries and overhead of their organization, making them essentially a marketing group soliciting donations for themselves.
Last fall someone from this organization called asking for money. I didn't want to make a donation, but instead I politely tried to evade by saying it would be okay to send out a pamphlet, given that they already knew my home address. Instead, the telemarketer wrote down that I had made a pledge, and also kept pressing for a credit card number over the phone.
Many people I've spoken to have also received calls from this organization, and a common perception is that police or firefighters themselves are sitting in the local station making these calls for money. The marketing dialogue and tone of voice is designed to make it sound like these are actual police. An elderly relative of mine who grew up in germany during the nazi era is particularly threatened by these calls, because she can't get around the feeling that local authorities are developing a list of those who don't donate. A quick online search reveals that the organization is targeting latino last-name households and making insidious false threats that their phone line could be cut off: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/10/09/BA142545.DTL

Here are several fundraising summaries from the past several years showing a very small amount actually given to the stated charity. It is recommended that you hang up on this group calling from New Jersey as soon as they start to deliver their pitch

http://justice.hdcdojnet.state.ca.us/cfr0001_0100/0006/42559.pdf
http://justice.hdcdojnet.state.ca.us/cfr0001_0100/0007/43109.pdf
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John Schaffer
Wed, Sep 6, 2023 12:03AM
Brian
Sat, Aug 14, 2010 8:01AM
Brian
Sat, Aug 14, 2010 7:55AM
John Schaffer
Thu, Jun 4, 2009 10:17PM
Mr Trump says
Fri, May 29, 2009 3:55PM
Tania M. Ibanez
Fri, May 29, 2009 2:28PM
Confused in Cali
Tue, May 26, 2009 2:38PM
Lucy
Sun, May 24, 2009 5:23PM
dont count it
Sun, May 17, 2009 6:20PM
Steven
Wed, May 13, 2009 12:48PM
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