Overland Park police charity, shuttered amid investigation, urges DA to decide on charges
Sixteen months after four Overland Park officers were put on paid leave amid an investigation of police charity funds, the leader of their Fraternal Order of Police is urging District Attorney Steve Howe to decide whether to bring criminal charges.
Officer Dianna Johnson, president of Overland Park’s Fraternal Order of Police and director of the Overland Park Police Officers Foundation, said in a statement Wednesday that the charity board is hopeful the case will move forward but has grown “anxious.”
She said a charging decision is necessary for the charity to resume operations and “begin to rebuild public trust.” Since the investigation began, the charity has not filed tax papers or collected any donations.
“The Foundation’s mission is to assist law enforcement officers and their families in financial distress following catastrophic injury or death and pursuing educational opportunities, so it’s imperative we are operational again soon,” Johnson said in the statement.
The Overland Park Police Officers Foundation was organized as a nonprofit charity in 2016.
In May 2022, the charity pulled down its webpage and contacted Johnson County District Attorney’s Office based on a forensic audit. The audit, performed by an independent firm, was done after FOP members questioned the charity’s spending decisions and the disbursement of funds.
Findings of the audit were shared with the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office to review any potentially criminal actions. Since then, little has been disclosed by public officials about the nature and scope of the ongoing investigation.
All four of the Overland Park Police Department officers connected to the investigation were put on leave May 6, 2022. Three had served as directors of the police charity.
In February, The Star reported that roughly $250,000 had been paid out to the officers as they remained on administrative leave.
Among the issues raised about the charity was its contract with a third-party fundraising company called Outreach Marketing. Public tax records show a majority of funds collected by Outreach Marketing on behalf of police officers went to Outreach.
Filings with the Internal Revenue Service in 2019, the most recent available, show the Overland Park Police Foundation retained a little less than $92,000 through its fundraising. Meanwhile, Outreach received about $250,000 of the gross income, amounting to 73% of the revenue collected on behalf of the charity.
On Wednesday, Johnson, the FOP president, said the Overland Park Police Officers Foundation immediately cut ties with Outreach once a new slate of board members took over. But the company allegedly continued to raise money on behalf of the charity — which was described as an issue separate from the investigation of the four police officers.
“If in fact the company deceived the public in soliciting money for police organizations, we would support any investigation into the company and those in charge,” Johnson said.
Controversy around the police charity has resurfaced publicly in recent weeks following the resignation of Overland Park Police Chief Frank Donchez, who suddenly left the department Sept. 12 after nine years at the helm. The investigation of the officers is one example of tensions that have arisen between the chief and City Hall.
City officials have said the chief was forced out based on insensitive comments made to Sheila Albers, whose 17-year-old son was shot and killed by an officer in 2017, ahead of a city meeting last week. Donchez allegedly blamed Albers for her son’s death during a heated argument, which Albers recounted to city officials last week in an email provided to The Star.
Donchez, meanwhile, said in an interview with the Washington Post that he resigned for personal reasons. He declined an interview with The Star.
The Star’s Katie Moore and Sarah Ritter contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 20, 2023 at 8:00 PM.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the Overland Park Fraternal Order of Police.
