Did you receive a rude call from the Broward County Police Benevolent Association, did it almost seem like an extortion?

Here is my story:
On March 23 at approximately 1600 hours (4Pm) I received a phone call from 954-391-5296, when I answered the phone call the caller asked to speak to the owner (by name - which obviously I will keep out). Since anyone who is going to call my business and ask for me, normally knows me or would call my cellular phone directly, I knew this was a telemarketing call; therefore I responded with "and who may I say is calling". The caller responded with his name (i forgot his name). Then I ask "May I ask what this is in reference to", and he responded with "I need to speak with (the owner)". I again kindly said "Sure, but what is this in reference to". Now this person either got agitated at how many people actually hang up on him or thought that since he was working for the Broward County Police Benevolent association he had some sort of authority and replied with "hold on, let's back things up here a minute - I need to speak with (the owner's name).

Now I am a little agitated and responded with "See, you called my business, therefore if you want o speak to anyone I need to know what it's in reference to, not just that but I get too many telemarketers trying to solicit money and harassing my employees, therefore what do you need with (the owner's name)?" Silence, he hung up!

So I decided to call the number back - it's the Broward County Police benevolent association, they have started the donation collection.

I have several problems with this:

  • First, I think the Broward County PBA does nothing but bend over and take it from the Sheriff - but then that is my opinion!
  • Second, Why is the Broward County PBA calling and being so forceful when soliciting donations? To me this call almost felt like a method of extortion, or aggressively soliciting contributions to their UNION!
  • Third, I don't care for unions - I think UNIONS are nothing but another form of mafia!

Now I want to complain and hopefully this person who called me from the Broward County Police Benevolent Association is just a fluke, having a bad day, or needs to be fired. So I call back the 954-391-5296 - no live person to talk to, but they did provide another number 800-689-7168 - again no live person to speak with, or file a complaint. So I did a google search for Broward County Police Benevolent association and got their phone number 954-584-7600.

I called the Broward County P.B.A. and asked to speak to a supervisor. The lady on the phone said that there was no supervisor available. So I went ahead and explained to her that I wanted to make a complaint about the phone call I received from someone within their ranks. She said that the people who call to collect donations are a sub-contractor and that they have nothing to do with them, and that the supervisor was in another city and not available.

Why is a UNION who collects approximately $90 from each police officer calling for donations?

Why is the Broward Police Benevolent association so forceful in the collections drive - why not call and say "Hello this is (name) from the Broward County Police Benevolent Association and we would like for you to help us with ....."?

Broward County Police Benevolent Association - you are Union! You collect funds, and whether you operate as a non for profit organization or not, you are still a UNION!

By the way - I heard a rumor that Police Officer(s) are paid to work at the PBA, is this correct? My tax money is being wasted by having a Police Officer sit in the Union office, not just a Police Officer, but a SGT?