Chief: Calls are for union, not Des Plaines police

Fundraising calls on behalf of the police union representing Des Plaines officers are misleading, Police Chief Jim Prandini said.

Prandini said Thursday that the callers are misrepresenting themselves to Des Plaines residents as officers to raise money for union activities, not for the police department.

A few people have complained about the Metropolitan Alliance of Police solicitations, he said.

Of the 140 police departments represented by the Metropolitan Alliance of Police, only Des Plaines is raising money right now.

"The problem we have is some of the telemarketers are pushing. They're willing to come to the home to get the money right away. That's nothing that we do. We want the public to understand that we don't act that way," Prandini said.

Metropolitan Alliance of Police is seeking money to help fund the negotiation of contracts, attorney fees for the representation of officers and death benefits, said Rick Tracy, union secretary.

Tracy said it's common to give people the option of having someone go to their homes to pick up the donations. Fundraising calls have been a part of the union activities for 26 years, he said.

The telemarketers work for a company hired by the union. They never misrepresent themselves, Tracy said.

"The money we earn we use for defense of police officers," Tracy said. "So we actually use the money against the chiefs, so they're not happy with us."