In this season of fund raising and giving, the Ridgefield Police Department wants to make it known that neither the Police Benevolent Association nor the police union do any fund raising over the telephone.
The question was raised by a Ridgefield Press reader who was confused at the various police-related charities that called him for donations.
“First off, we do not do any fund raising via telephone for either the union or the PBA, only a mailer,” said Capt. Jeffery Kreitz, spokesman for the department.
“It should be noted that the PBA and union each send out a single mailer per year. If any readers do receive calls requesting a donation be made and the caller is stating they are directly associated with our agency, they are not.”
There are nationwide groups that are legitimate and make calls requesting funding for police. However, they are not directly associated with the Ridgefield Police Department, Kreitz said.
Kreitz made it clear that donations made to either the PBA or the union partly return to the community that supports them.
The PBA is comprised of the members of the department and includes captains, lieutenants, sergeants, officers, dispatchers, and some retired members. The PBA takes in donations and returns the money to the community through outreach programs such as Shop With a Cop, Repair Because We Care, Home Fuel Aid Program, scholarships, sponsorship of local sports teams, Safety Day, and others.
The donations also help support union issues, including improvement of wages and benefits, and provide health and welfare funding to members and their families during their times of need.
“As always, we appreciate the generosity and support of the community,” Kreitz said.
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