MIDDLETON — Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger and Middleton police Chief James DiGianvittorio are warning residents to beware of a group from Wichita, Kansas, that claims to be raising money for local law enforcement.
They said, in a press statement Friday, that their departments are not associated with this supposed fundraiser, which they characterized as "deceptive" and a "phony solicitation."
The statement explained that the United States Deputy Sheriff's Association, a nonprofit founded in 1995, recently sent letters to area residents, claiming to be raising money to supply equipment such as bulletproof vests and body armor for local police and sheriffs' departments.
A copy of the solicitation letter, provided with Friday's statement, contains the letterhead: "Middleton, Massachusetts Area Drive for America's Police and Sheriff's Emergency Equipment Shortage."
The letter, from the association's executive director David Hinners, touches on a "staggering" increase in shootings of police officers across the country as part of an "anti-cop movement" and rioting, politicians releasing thousands of criminals from jail during the pandemic, budget cuts forcing thousands of officers to "face riots, hardened criminals — and Antifa terrorists" without proper equipment and the Defund the Police movement.
Hinners writes that the association provides free lifesaving equipment to "underfunded police and sheriff's departments in towns like yours across the country."
Coppinger, however, had this to say: "We are not associated with this fundraiser and we have never received a dime from this organization. This is just another phony solicitation using our department to deceive well-intentioned people of their hard-earned money."
DiGianvittorio, likewise, said this group hasn't made any donations to the Middleton police, and urged potential donors not to be deceived by the name.
"This group has nothing to do with the town of Middleton, the Police Department or the Sheriff's Department. This is just another attempt by overly aggressive marketers to try and appear legitimate while taking your money," he said.
The statement continued, noting that in July, telephone scammers pretended to be Coppinger and told callers they needed to send money to avoid arrest. In this case, one of the letters was mailed to Essex County Special Sheriff William Gerke, who alerted the department about it.
Coppinger urged residents to make sure they research groups they aren't familiar with before making a donation.
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Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, gives the United States Deputy Sheriff's Association one star for accountability and transparency, and reports that 88% of the group's funds go toward fundraising expenses with just 5.5% spent on actual program expenses. This is based on the latest income statements available (from 2018), which reported about $12 million in revenues. Consumer Reports also put it on a 2019 list of "Worst Charities for your Donations."
Residents can check with the Massachusetts Attorney General's office on the history of a business or to report a scam.
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