# Some police association selling trash bags keeps calling me.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 27, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883 "2003-02-27T14:46:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ether\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ether_Dragon)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/1 "2003-02-27T14:46:13Z")
My question is, do they have any affiliation with any actual police agency? They’ve been calling me for years, and I always feel nervous about saying “no,” for fear that a S.W.A.T. team is going to bust down my door.😉
This year, they’ve been even more persistent, calling me twice in the last two weeks. I feel like they’re closing the net on me or something.:eek:
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/2 "2003-02-27T15:09:08Z")
Call your local police station. I had a similar thing happen to me (and how can you turn down the police?) then I read about the scam in the paper a few months later.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/3 "2003-02-27T15:10:11Z")
I didn’t mean call the police to report them, just to find out if they’re legit. If not, you WILL be talking to the right people to report them.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/4 "2003-02-27T15:10:34Z")
Right, but **do** use the non-emergency number. They get a bit piqued when people dial 911 for things like that. 😉
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### Author:  [@olefin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olefin)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/5 "2003-02-27T15:20:18Z")
You see a lot of bumper stickers about supporting police, highway patrol, etc.
People donate thinking having a bumper sticker will save them in case they get caught speeding. The cops never pay any attention to the stickers for theses organizations never have any thing to do with the local police or any police.
😛
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### Author:  [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/6 "2003-02-27T15:32:55Z")
I got calls every two months or so from various parties identifying them as members of a local Police Chiefs’ association, selling circus tickets with the proceeds supposedly enabling parentless kids to also see the circus. I always politely refused, repeating my personal mantra, “Sorry, but I never respond to telephone solicitations”.
If you want a bit of fun, ask the caller if he or she is in fact a police officer. If they say yes, ask for their name, department and badge number, and state that you will be calling the department to confirm that this is correct.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/7 "2003-02-27T15:40:22Z")
It may well be a legitimate fund-raiser for some police-affiliated organization, but even if it is, it’s unlikely that the organization gets much of the money. Typically, they hire a professional fund-raising company, and typically, said company gets an extremely high percentage of the money raised. I have no qualms about saying “no” to them.
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### Author:  [@Ether\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ether_Dragon)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/8 "2003-02-27T15:41:25Z")
I think the thing that piqued me the most about these last two calls (both telemarketers seemed to be using the same script) was their initial question: “Do you agree with me that now, more than ever, the police need our support?”
It seemed like too blatant a tie-in to events stemming from 9/11. Given the number of callous marketers that have tried to pull our heart-strings so we’d buy their product, that kind of question really sparks a nerve with me. So, here was a telemarketer, citing some vague connection to law enforcement, suggesting that it was my patriotic duty to buy trash bags, by way of a guilt trip.
The only thing I agreed with was that he was asking me a loaded question for the sole purpose of putting me into a “yes” mentality.:dubious:
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/9 "2003-02-27T15:48:06Z")
Just say to them to put you on their do not call list. Then if they call back, you can sue them, or at least make them think you might.
Then there were some telemarketers selling tickets to the local policeman’s ball & oh, never mind that joke.
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### Author:  [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/10 "2003-02-27T15:58:23Z")
Gary T is on track.
Basically, Here’s the scam. A fundraising company will affilliate themselves with a police organization which may or may not be reputable. The fundraising organization keeps 85% of what they raise and the other 15% goes to the organization.
ALMOST ALWAYS, THE DONATIONS ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE!
Funds raised can be used for any purpose including the drunken parties that some police depts. are famous for. They also may be used for legal defense of crooked cops. You just don’t know because they are not registered charitable organizations and don’t have to file the reports required of a charity.
You can play games by asking if the donation is tax deductible or if the fundraiser is a cop but they may still lie to you. It is better to just steer clear of them.
The scam works because of the intimidation factor. Don’t get sucked in.
What’s really sad is that 9/11 was a huge boon to the crooked business.
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### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/11 "2003-03-01T04:11:51Z")
I’ve also gotten calls at my business for these types of donations. And, while some of these telemarketers may be technically legit, the one that kept calling me would tell me that I’ve always given before, and insist we’ve met when I’m sure as hell we haven’t.
IOW, he lied. And he hoped to intimidate me into donating.
Don’t fall for it.
## Peace.
Just say you’ve already given to your local force. Oh, and BTW, actually do so.
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### Author:  [@Mapwife](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapwife)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/12 "2003-03-01T04:24:35Z")
The key word was “telemarketer.” Most legitimate police agencies won’t go this route. If you’re desperate to donate money to charity, find another one of your own choosing. Don’t spend any time on the phone with the solicitor. Cut the phone call off before they have a chance to go into a speal. Don’t feel guilty or affraid of a reprocussion. They interupted your business when they called you.
Don’t concern yourself if it is legit or not, just don’t play. If you listen beyon their opening remarks they have techniques to keep you hooked on the phone.:dubious:
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### Author:  [@S\_Puppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/S_Puppy)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-police-association-selling-trash-bags-keeps-calling-me/157883/13 "2003-03-01T22:07:22Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Gary T \*
> \*\*It may well be a legitimate fund-raiser for some police-affiliated organization, but even if it is, it’s unlikely that the organization gets much of the money. \*\*
From what I have been able to gather about the ones here,
usually concerts, is that a very small part of the money does
make it to the police. Maybe they feel it is worth while since
they get a little money for letting their name be used. A direct
donation, avoiding the fund raisers would be much more
efficient at getting the money to the police organization.