Announcement from the Niles Police Department. Please be aware that in the next few weeks, Metropolitan Alliance of Police (MAP) will be conducting their telephone solicitation to Niles residents during their annual fundraising drive. The telephone solicitors are not members of the Niles Police Department and they should not be soliciting on behalf of the police department.
Telephone Solicitations
One issue that is continually brought to the attention of the Niles Police Department is fundraising attempts through telephone solicitation of residents and businesses. Many of these fundraisers will imply that the Niles Police Department in some way benefits from the donation. In fact it does not. The Niles Police Department does not authorize nor does it want any organization to solicit on its behalf. The department is funded through municipal taxes and fees that are authorized and budgeted by the Village of Niles Board of Trustees.
If a fundraiser states that they represent the Niles Police Department, you are asked to please file a formal police report so their claim can be fully investigated. When reporting these solicitations, residents are asked to provide as much information as possible, including the name of the person calling, the name and address of the organization, and any telephone numbers provided. Illinois law requires paid fundraisers to identify themselves as such and to name the organization for which they are soliciting. The solicitations can be reported to the Niles Police Department by calling 847-588-6500.
In some cases, organizations, such as the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the MetropolitanAlliance of Police, and the Fraternal Order of Police may in fact have individual members of the Niles Police Department as members of their organization. However no one at the Niles Police Department has given consent to or hired telemarketers to solicit funds on behalf of the department. The decision to solicit funds through this type of telemarketing is being made by persons outside of our community.
Be assured that the Niles Police receives no direct benefit from these solicitations nor would it accept any. The department has received complaints that some telemarketers not only imply that they are the Niles Police, but that donating will somehow improve the donor’s service level. This could not be further from the truth. The Niles Police Department prides itself on the high level of service it provides to all residents.
The Niles Police Department appreciates the support of our residents and business owners, but asks that if you choose to donate to a soliciting organization you do so based on your personal preference and choice and not because you feel pressured or swayed by the implication that the money will find its way to the local police officer or police department.
To learn more about Illinois laws regarding charitable solicitations, you may also visit the Illinois Attorney General's Office website.