860-259-1302

Today I received a call from this number, the gentleman on the other end said he was calling from Connecticut Fraternity of Police and requesting a donation. The minute I told him I wasn't making a donation as I questioned the validation of the call, he hung up on me. I didn't think that was a professional way to end the call, whether it was or not.

Since I don't know exactly how the call went, I'm not sure if he hung up on you without warning or if he let you know prior to hanging up. If you're not making a donation, then he has no reason to continue the call. Considering how bad the economy is doing, only a limited number of people are making such donations. He needs to find as many interested people as he can without wasting time answering pointless questions such as Fraternal Order of Police's (FOP) authenticity.

I forgot to mention to my prior post... I believe when you get a call and the guy wants your credit card number is when its a scam, this guy that called me did not ask for money, he just wanted to put me down for the amount I wanted to donate so he knows what color sticker to send me... So this guy said he will send me by mail a package with the stickers and the donation form... So I'd figure thats most likely a legit company but still will find out before I send any donation, now, I also need to find out if he was correct when he said he is a non-profit company where they do indeed send all the money they collect, or do they take any of it to cover only their operating costs....

The organization is legally non-profit. 100% of the money goes to the organization, not the charity. Yes, there are costs such as the phone bill and computers. The callers get paid as well. They do not receive much but it is plenty above minimum wage.

When researching FOP, keep in mind it is different between states. Also note that FOP is also no longer affiliated with Civic Development Group (CDG) in any way, shape, or form.

P.S. Do not donate to anything related to CDG.

Hangup phone call

Phone rang and Caller-ID said CTFOP. My wife and I debated over who it might be and I decided to answer. They hung up right away. If this was a legitimate call, they missed an opportunity.

Sometimes the system used takes several extra seconds to connect and you may just think it hung up on you. Or, an error took place and it did in fact mistakenly hang up on you.

Sometimes it takes several extra seconds to connect. It's possibly you didn't wait long enough, or perhaps it did somehow hang up on you by mistake. Either way, an opportunity was not missed, it was merely delayed (ie. CTFOP will call again at some point).

Connecticut Attorney General's Office

News Release

Telephone Solicitation Raises Consumers' Questions

February 10, 1997

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Consumer Protection Commissioner Mark A. Shiffrin said today they have received an unusually high number of consumer inquiries regarding a professional telemarketing campaign currently being conducted to raise money for the Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police.

In just over a month ending February 6, 1997, Blumenthal and Shiffrin received 51 calls from consumers. Twenty-one of the calls came in during just four days, from February 3, 1997 through February 6, 1997.

The Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police is not affiliated with any municipal police department, union, police benevolent association or police activities league.

The organization, headquartered in New Haven, is using a paid solicitor, Civic Development Group of Hopelawn, New Jersey, to conduct a telephone campaign that is scheduled to continue through March 24, 1997. According to the contract, the Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police will receive a minimum of 15 percent of the money collected in its name. The remaining 85 percent will be kept by Civic Development Group.

"Consumers should be aware that they are not talking to a police officer when they receive a call from Civic Development Group on behalf of this organization. They also should be aware that if they make a donation, none of that money will go to help their local police departments," Blumenthal said. "I am encouraged by the large number of calls we have received regarding this campaign. It shows that consumers are heeding our warnings to be alert and seek information before they give."

"This is a good example of why we urge consumers to check with our Charities Unit before they commit their generous donations to unknown solicitors. Often consumers have never heard of the caller and do not know how much of their charity dollar will actually end up with the intended charity," said Commissioner Shiffrin. The Public Charities Unit is a joint program of the Attorney General's Office and the state Department of Consumer Protection. The Public Charities Unit has received inquiries from consumers in at least 30 communities who had received calls seeking donations.

Among the towns where residents are being solicited are: Ansonia, Bridgeport, Bristol, Canaan, Chester, Danielson, East Hartford, East Haven, Enfield, Essex, Farmington, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, New Haven, New Milford, Niantic, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Rockville, Salem, Sherman, Stamford, Torrington, Uncasville, Vernon, Waterford, Willimantic, Woodbury, and Wolcott.

The state filed a lawsuit against Civic Development Group in 1994, alleging that the company violated the law when its employees failed to disclose to potential donors that they were being paid to solicit contributions for the Uniformed Professional Firefighters of Connecticut. Without admitting liability, Civic Development Group settled the lawsuit in 1995 by paying a $40,000 penalty and agreed and to establish a "do not call" list, on which donors can have their names placed on request.

The Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police is registered with the state's Public Charities Unit. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 1995, the organization reported total revenue of $724,515. During the same period it reported spending $26,426 or 4.08 percent on programs (the purposes for which it was formed), $20,069 (or 3.18 percent) on management and general expenses and $600,852 (or 92.74 percent) on fundraising costs.

The organization reported that of the $26,426 it spent on programs, it spent $1,725 on donations to other charitable programs; $9,234 on travel and expenses for officers to attend seminars and conventions; $10,087 on DWI education; and $5,380 on a "Fun Day with the Police" community program.

Blumenthal and Shiffrin offered the following tips for consumers who receive telemarketing solicitations:

   * Make sure you understand which organization wants your money. Police departments do not solicit money over the telephone, but some police unions do.
   * Ask for specific information about how your donation will be used.
   * Ask where your donation will be used, especially if you prefer your donation to be used locally.
   * Ask who you are talking to. Get the name and write it down. If you're called by a police union, don't be fooled into thinking you are talking to a police officer.
   * Ask the caller if he or she is being paid to make the call. Connecticut law requires paid solicitors to tell you this, but don't count on them volunteering the information.
   * Ask what percentage of your donation the organization will receive.
   * Never agree over the phone to donate. Always ask for written information and read the material thoroughly.
   * Always donate by check, never with cash.

You can all safely disregard this message. As any sensible person can undersrand, things don't stay the same after 12 years. The message was dated back to 1997 when Civic Development Group (CDG) was still involved. This is no longer the case. We might as well go to war with Japan instead right now. I mean, afterall, they bombed Pearl Harbor several decades ago. See my point? Reading something this ancient serves no purpose at all.

Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police. They have an annual campaign. Each year, some THUG calls me and practically DEMANDS money, and each year I tell them I will not make any agreement over the telephone and that they can mail me the information so that I can decide to write a check or not. Each year, the thug hangs up on me. One year, he didn't hang up properly and for another minute you could hear him griping to a fellow thug about the person he'd just spoken with. Real professional... NOT!!! I think they hire thugs in prison to make these calls. They give police a bad name. The real CT FOP should make their own calls if they want support.

You're probably referring to a time in the past when FOP used "professional" solicitors through Civic Development Group (CDG). Basically, during this period anyone who could read a script was hired. People who could not find a job at most other places due to having a bad criminal record could get a job here. Some of them would abuse the job, but for others it was at least a chance to make some money after getting out of prison and have the opportunity to turn their life around.

Currently, the CT FOP is not affiliated with CDG. It is run in New Britain, CT. An executive board of current and retired police officers make the rules and control all decisions regarding CT FOP. This is the real CT FOP.

Police themselves can't make the calls as they as obviously on the job during the day and when they aren't, they have families to attend to.

Sorry for your experience, but I've responded to your post for future readers to view. At least I didn't come at you with an all out attack making false accusations as you just did to an organization in which you truly know nothing about.

A few years ago this org's head was accused of stealing funds from the org.
of which, I had inside knowledge.

If folks really want to donate ask an officer you know and trust. Unless you live out in the sticks, you'll know about or personally know one.

I knew 2 state, 5 city and countless correction officers, with no criminal contact with any above a 1990 traffic ticket.

I'm tired of all the strange calls. I signed up for the state and national do not call list.

You can't stop the mis-dialed, strange and loop holes in the no call list.
So now I screen the calls, I have Caller ID., set up VM with a answering machine fail safe and a call sentry service. Talk about overkill!

Although they still make it through the gauntlet. I just come back here and check them out that way.
I say,
Don't answer, it's a Cancer!
Just Google them Baby!
Just Google them!

Anyone can create their own accusation. What anyone can't just do is actually prove it. Have you any proof? Of course not.

it is February 17th and I got this call at 6:32 this evening.Fortunately I have an answering machine to hear who is on the other end. When I did not pick up,they hung up.

Well, naturally it would make sense to hang up the phone when the person on the other end doesn't pick up the phone, don't you agree? Besides the fact that your post here confirms FOP still makes phone calls.. I'm quite unsure about its purpose.

Fundraising call; caller gets answering machine and then hangs up.

ryan does not know what he is talking about.  CDG and many FOP group continue to work together.  Visit www.civicdevelopment.net to learn more.

Listen to John, he can hardly type the English language -- he's completely credible. But anyhow, John hasn't a clue what is really going on.

In the late summer of 2008, the FOP (which worked with CDG at the time) shut down. It was not until October of 2008 that FOP re-opened without the involvement (of any sort) of CDG. FOP was now run entirely by police and they had 100% control over all matters. It was being run at Grove Place in New Britain, CT.

On May 4, 2008, at approximately 5 P.M., the executive board of officers running the FOP decided to shut it down claiming they were low on funds. Within the past month, the FOP went back to CDG (for reasons I do not know). FOP and CDG once again work together in Meriden, CT.