September 14, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
Potential donors in Michigan have been greeted with fund-raising phone calls from the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police, in which a telemarketer talks about a Bob Kozminski, a 29-year-old Grand Rapids police officer who was killed in the line of duty in July.
The caller tells the potential donors about the fallen officer’s 3-year-old daughter and the fact that they are raising money to help his family.
But, according to the blog Don’t Tell the Donor, the Michigan group hasn’t been very careful about who it calls.
The anonymous blog cites a report on WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids that says the organization has called both the officer’s sister and mother with the fund-raising pitch.
The organization had also not asked the family for its permission to use the officer’s death as part of its fund-raising efforts.
The Michigan Fraternal Order of Police told WZZM that it is suspending the program and reevaluating its fund-raising policies.
But Don’t Tell The Donor wonders why the organization wasn’t more careful in the first place.
“In their defense, the Michigan F.O.P says they donated about $2,000 to the Kozminski fund shortly after Bob’s death in July — and they will suspend the calling,” the blogger writes. “But how could they be so stupid to not even use a suppression on the family before calling?”
Should the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police ask permission from victims’ families before it uses their anecdotes to raise money? Post on the comments link below this post to share your thoughts.
