Warning of scam letter in Monessen
It’s being sent out by the National Police Association in Stafford, Texas.
By the MVI
Monessen officials are warning of a questionable fundraising letter recently mailed to several city residents.
Mayor Ron Mozer said the letter claims to be from the National Police Association in Stafford, Texas, and asks for donations to add the recipient’s name “along with the names of other Monessen residents to the Quality of Life Policing Petition that will be presented to Monessen City Council Members.”
Mozer said the letter is an apparent effort to solicit donations that will not benefit the city police department. A disclaimer on the letter states that “Donations are used where the need is greatest.”
“Based upon correspondence questioning the need for more Quality of Life policing measures within the City of Monessen being mailed to city residents over the past few days, Monessen Mayor Ron Mozer and its council are warning residents of these fundraising efforts which often utilize fear and scare tactics in local communities to help raise money for so called Crime Fighting Agendas,” according to a press release issued by the city.
The National Police Association is listed as a nonprofit organization but has a Zero-Star Rating from the Charity Navigator, which ranks more than 225,000 charities nationwide.
The letter states, “Monessen City Council Members need to hear from you!”
The solicitation letter further states that “Your City Council Members likely approve your police budget and also give the police in Monessen their marching orders so your City Council can either keep your neighborhoods clean and safe or do what many big city politicians are doing — bowing to anti-law enforcement pressure and ordering their police to stop quality of life policing.”
The letter urges recipients to check a box to add their name to a petition that will be presented to members of Monessen City Council; explain to friends and neighbors how groups are trying to abolish quality of life policing and why it’s important to maintain cleanliness and order in our neighborhoods because disorder in any neighborhood creates a sense of fear and invites crime; and send a donation.
Mozer stated that if citizens donate money to the National Police Association, they should be aware that the group is not funding any program administered by the Monessen Police Department.
“Although this goal is admirable and recognized, I only wish that the National Police Association would have contacted the City of Monessen to learn of the blight removal efforts, revitalization projects and increased police activities within our city to achieve these very goals within our borders,” Mozer stated. “Instead of fundraising efforts to individual citizens of Monessen with correspondence filled with scare tactics and misstatements, we would welcome the opportunity to work with the National Police Association to further our same agenda within our community with their support, guidance and work to achieve funding mechanisms to achieve these same goals of protection and safety within our neighborhoods.”
The letter sent to city residents includes a statement that those wishing to “obtain a refund of your donation to National Police Association, simply send a photo- copy of both the front and back of your canceled donation check made out to National Police Association to our headquarters address and a refund will be issued immediately.”
“We would ask our residents to be on guard for these solicitations over the next few days, and to not participate with them,” Mozer said.
He also asked any resident who receives any similar type of correspondence to contact Monessen City Administrator Michael Korposh at 724-684-9000, extension 100.
