Inside the home of Hilda Bailey in Waltham, Massachusetts, family photos and police memorabilia tell the story of a marriage that spanned more than six decades. Parker Bailey served the Waltham Police Department for over 30 years before retiring in 1998, and his wife recalls him promising that she would be taken care of after his death.
When Parker passed away in July 2024, Hilda expected a $10,000 death benefit from the Waltham Police Relief Association (WPRA), a private nonprofit that police officers pay dues to and on whose board Parker once served. Instead, she says the organization has not returned her calls or letters.
Family’s attempts to get answers
Hilda’s son, Jon Bailey, also a former Waltham police officer and former WPRA board volunteer, tried to intervene on his mother’s behalf. “It kind of eats at me inside, because this is money that my dad told my mother she was getting,” Jon said. He contacted NBC10 Boston investigators, who then reached out to the WPRA. The association’s president, Officer Ann Frassica, told reporters the WPRA is a private entity and does not discuss member benefits publicly, adding that it is not subject to the public‑records laws that apply to municipal agencies.
Financial filings raise concerns
Tax documents filed by the WPRA show a healthy balance sheet, with assets of roughly $1.4 million and a surplus of about $176,000 in the most recent filing year. However, the nonprofit’s expense reports list $0 under the line item “benefits paid to or for members” for the past five years, despite a mission statement that promises “welfare benefits to member and former members of the Waltham Police Department.” Accountants reviewing the filings could not determine whether benefits are recorded under a different category.
Bylaw excerpts from 2005 indicate that members may collect a benefit upon retirement and designate a beneficiary for a separate death benefit. Parker received $10,000 when he retired and, according to Jon, named his wife as the beneficiary of another $10,000 after his death.
State oversight and next steps
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, which oversees charities and nonprofits, classifies the WPRA as a non‑charitable nonprofit. This designation means the organization is not required to file annual reports in the AG’s online nonprofit database, limiting public visibility into its operations.
Anyone who believes they have been wronged by the WPRA can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office online or by calling (617) 727‑8400.
Hilda Bailey remains hopeful that the association will honor the promise made to her husband. “Pay me what I’m due,” she said, “that would be the right thing.”
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
