[Leon M. Krolikowski is Chief of Police in the town of New Canaan.]
Each and every day the men and women of the New Canaan Police Department protect and serve our Town.
On May 25, Memorial Day, we honor those who pledged to protect and serve our great country and in the process made the ultimate sacrifice.
As Memorial Day approaches, it’s a good time to remind the good and patriotic citizens of New Canaan to be aware of phony organizations who “solicit” on behalf of Veterans. Each year we receive complaints about scams that victimize New Canaan residents and some of these scams are initiated by those purporting to be “Veterans.”
Last year, prior to the 4th of July, Peter Langenus, the Commander of New Canaan’s Veterans of Foreign War Post 653 received a telephone call from a shopper who had been approached for a money donation in front of the Food Emporium.
The shopper thought that the solicitor’s military uniform seemed to be a mismatch of different uniforms and of different branches of the service. She asked Mr. Langenus to confirm the status of the organization soliciting funds.
Mr. Langenus went to the Food Emporium and confirmed the shopper’s suspicions. The solicitor was wearing a hodge-podge of outdated uniforms and was relying on the goodness of New Canaan residents to donate monies to him. With the assistance of the Food Emporium Manager, the solicitor was invited to leave the Food Emporium at once.
The organization on behalf of which the solicitor was working is an organization over 100 miles distant from New Canaan. The solicitor had been dropped off in front of the Food Emporium with a table and some buttons with a promise to pick him up at 5 p.m.
A couple of years ago, an organization known as the Veterans Support Organization (VSO) was soliciting contributions from customers outside the Walgreen’s store. VSO is not related to the Veterans Administration, United Services Organization or Veterans of Foreign Wars. VSO was profiled in a “Hall of Shame” report by Fox Five New York TV reporter Arnold Diaz.
In that profile, Diaz exposed VSO for hiring “solicitors” who pose in pseudo-military uniforms and are then paid a commission and are allowed to keep 30 percent of what they raise from unsuspecting donors. Diaz also reported on the criminal history of some of its officers, one of who has a lengthy history as a con man and has convictions for forgery, credit card fraud and scheme to defraud. At best, 15 percent of what VSO raises may go to legitimate veterans’ causes; 85 percent of the funds raised go for overhead such as officers’ salaries and commissions for the paid solicitors. The state of Tennessee has fined VSO for its fundraising practices.
As Veterans Day approaches, we expect more bogus organizations and individuals to approach unsuspecting Town residents who assume that they are donating to a legitimate charity. The New Canaan Post 653 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars solicits for funds just twice a year, before Memorial Day and before Christmas. These funds all stay in New Canaan and are used only for legitimate purposes such as Christmas Wreaths placed on Veterans’ gravesites each December.
If you are unsure of whether an organization is a legitimate charity, please contact our department at 203-594-3500 before you make a donation and we will help you make an informed decision.
Let’s honor those that have lost their lives while serving our great county by contributing to legitimate charities. Let’s not ever forget them.
Interesting, and always worth keeping in mind. I’d assumed Food Emporium (and, by extension Walter Sterwart’s and other retail locations that “allow” people/organizations to set up tables and engage customers all day) vetted the people/organizations on its property. I recall donating to a veteran’s organization at Food Emporium last year, and I see, at least once a month, a table set up in front of the store with one or two gentleman soliciting for something along the lines of “a second chance.” I’m very surprised to hear a bogus organization could set up outside the store and only be recognized/removed because a customer had a sharp eye.