Officials: Be Wary of 'Police Organization' Calling Your Home

Police are advising Ocean County residents to be wary of any telephone calls asking them to donate to police organizations. Solicitors for "the New Jersey Police Officers' Foundation, a project of the Italian-American Society" have been calling some homes in the county last week, asking for donations.

Calls have not been reported to Lacey residents, but there have been calls to homes in the northern part of the county, including that of Point Pleasant Borough Capt. Richard Larsen. Larsen said the ongoing round of calls is only the latest in a longstanding practice of organizations hiring telemarketers to solicit donations by phone.

"None of that money comes back to our local departments," Larsen said, adding that he ended the phone call he got at home by telling them he wasn't donating and saying, "No, thank you."

Officials with the state police and the New Jersey Association of Police Chiefs, as well as local officials, said in interviews that they were not familiar with the New Jersey Police Officers' Foundation.

However, they all said their departments, as well as local and state PBA representatives, do not solicit donations by phone.

Local PBAs use mailers.