A Massachusetts business owner claims he was harassed after refusing to donate to a fundraising vendor. Allegedly, the situation escalated to threats against his family, which he then took to the police for investigation. The incident occurred in Billerica, Massachusetts. The business owner, Ronnie Doucette, runs a food truck and restaurant called What the Fork with his wife and six kids. He has donated to the telephone fundraiser for the police union in the past. The video has received nearly 30,000 views.
The Massachusetts business owner says he loves feeding his community. However, an act of generosity “landed [him and his wife] in a stressful and frightening situation.” When the vendor called this year, he told the caller he was unable to donate. This was allegedly not well received. Following this, his phone “wouldn’t stop ringing from new numbers, [and they were] even threatening violence against the couple and their family.” He states that these companies keep calling, claiming that after he blocked them, they started calling his wife’s number.
This behavior is shocking to the Massachusetts business owner, as he’s told telemarketers off many times before. He says he’s “never had an experience like this.” He took the situation to the Billerica police, who began investigating. Following the incident, the police union has decided to cut ties with its outside fundraising vendor, TCI America. The New England Police Benevolent Association released a statement, claiming that the vendors have “zero connection to the men and women of the Billerica police department.”
Some Blame Massachusetts Police For The Incident
Several agree that telemarketers are horrible and have shared similar experiences. One commenter says, “My mom still gets harassed, too. She hasn’t donated to them since the 90s.” Another claims they get calls every year, insisting that “they would not stop calling.” However, some seem to blame the Massachusetts police for the incident. One commenter accuses, “The police department investigated itself and found no wrongdoing — they say it MUST have been someone else.” Another claims, “Sounds like something police unions would do.” Another commenter seems to have issues with the specific county, saying, “Medically speaking, the Billerica police are equal parts cruel and useless.”
The video is getting attention because everyone has experience with telemarketers. This is allegedly a more extreme case, although many in the comments feel this is normal behavior for these callers. This has sparked a broader conversation about scammers and how the process of posing as a fundraising effort for unions works.
The Massachusetts business owner hopes that other cities will part ways with vendors claiming to be associated with the police. It is unclear at this time what the investigation yielded.
