Police departments question Indianapolis police charity
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — At least four police departments in four states have raised concerns about an Indianapolis-based nonprofit, alleging that the group is conducting scams under the guise of raising money for law enforcement.
The Indianapolis Star reports that the Trenton Police Department in Michigan is among the agencies that have issued scam alerts about the National Police Association.
Police Chief Todd Scheffler says the association has sent letters to residents claiming to raise money for local police, but his department has never received funds.
Critics also say the nonprofit's letters target vulnerable people and use fear-mongering language.
The association's president is 59-year-old Eddie Hutchison of Hamilton County, Indiana. Hutchison says he's a fraud investigator for the Indiana attorney general's office who volunteers for the nonprofit a few hours a week.
Hutchison's attorney says the association isn't a scam.
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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com