I have a couple of cops in my family, and see them getting this sort of treatment first-hand. The township one of them works in has a strict “no-freebies” policy – store owners know that under no circumstances are cops allowed to accept so much as a free cup of coffee – but if she stops in at a Dunkin’ Donuts in another town on the way home (while still in uniform), they won’t take a dime from her (except in the tip jar, of course).
In general, I don’t have a problem with it, but I can see folks getting ticked off at the thought of this turning into a “slippery slope” issue. As AHunter3 said, “And once it’s been done a few times by one person voluntarily at such an establishment, it gets easily converted into an obligation, an entitlement.”
One benefit they get (at least in NJ) that I have no problem with at all is comped rides on NJ Transit trains. When we’re heading up to the city, both of my SILs know they can flash their badges and get a free ride – however, this doesn’t wind up costing anyone a thing. The train is still going to the city, the seats would have been empty – no harm, no foul.
That, of course, is the whole crux of this – business owners want to provide this benefit. NJ Transit is happy to have cops on the train just in case something bad goes down, just the same as the local coffee shop owner is happy to have a patrol car in his parking lot.
But while on duty, police officers shouldn’t be receiving goods/services from business owners in exchange for their services. They’re already being paid by us taxpayers to work for us.
However if the business owners want to hire off-duty police officers as security guards, that’s perfectly acceptable.
I used to work at McDonald’s during the closing shift. There were a couple of cops who stopped in almost every day and paid for their coffee about half the time (it depended on whether the manager noticed them or not. And not all managers felt it equally important to give cops free coffee.)
I saw no problem with that. I still see no problem with that. I don’t think free coffee should be an expected perk of the job, to the point that the cop feels entitled to request free coffee. But I don’t think that the cost of a cup of coffee is going to make or break either the cop’s budget, or the McDonals’s store budget.
Similarily, I don’t see a major problem with the transit example.
But I think acceptence of other freebies should be limited–limited to things which are inexpensive, non-predjudicial, and arguably available to to other people.
I don’t see an issue with it, in so long as it is reasonable in size (coffee, donuts). Free coffee is a wise offer for a gas station owner, as it encourages cops to stop by on their breaks - and frequent patrol cars in the parking lot discourages crime.
I see it the same as having sex with your teaching assistants or interns: I don’t really have a problem with the behavior per se if it’s not remotely coercive and if absolutely positively no one ever could know about it. But the second clause just never applies. All the other teaching assistants get to wonder and worry that “oh, THAT’S how you get ahead around here”, plus there’s a shadow cast on the fairness of any assessment, i.e, “uh huh, SURE the proprietor of Angelino’s wasn’t inebriated behind the wheel, whereas old O’Connell was tanked and deserved his DWI, had OH, no NOTHING to do with the free lunches at Angelino’s”, etc etc
And for the gas station owner across the highway who doesn’t give out free coffee to cops but whose station, pumps, parking lot and diner need the same crime-discouraging presence? And who pays taxes on the same footing etc?
But they shouldn’t be in uniform (which turns them into representatives of City Hall, not of the person for whom they’re working) unless they’re actually on duty.
In Spain they don’t wear their uniforms unless they are on duty… not on the way to or from work. That’s one thing I found very confusing, seeing a cop in uniform and he might be on duty or not. I’ve never seen a Spanish cop get one on the house on circumstances that wouldn’t get one to non-cops, either (for example, “hey guys, I’m going to be a daddy!” “cool! Here, this one’s on the house!”)
It is not. Dudes can work only so many hours a week before they start losing effectiveness and what’s worse- their judgement begins to cloud. Cops already often work many hours of OT at their regular jobs and working more for the private sector is wrong.It’s wrong because after wroking a weekend for Daves’ Niteclub, next Sunday morning the cop may well be in his 60th hour and now he is giving us- the taxpayers- far less than 100%. And, maybe he makes a error in jugdement and shoots someone.
I have no problem with cops accepting deminimus freebies. Coffee (regular not super expensive lattes), water, softdrinks. Federal agents are allowed to accept these, so why not cops? It should be the same kind of freebies that the business would offer to outside sales and such like.
The difference is that (and here is the problem) is that those of us in the business world give each other free shit because we are attempting to entice each other into entering into a voluntary business arrangement. The message in the business world is “hey, you do business with us, we’ll take care of you”.
That’s ok in business because it’s all voluntary (and we’re paying for it). It’s not ok for cops to do it because the cops are supposed to provide the same protection to everyone. What’s the implication? Hey, give us some free coffee and we’ll take extra care watching your shop?
And it IS a slipery slope. Free coffee turns into free dinner at the local restaurant. Maybe I fix your car for free in my shop and maybe you don’t notice it always smells like weed. How about outright bribes? I have a friend who’s an ADA (also in NJ) who routinely gets a pass for getting pulled over while wasted. Guess there’s no potential risk to the department there.
Least of which, it’s completely hypocritical for individuals who’s job it is to uphold the law to be seen bending it or using it to take personal advantage.
Based on all of my other beliefs, I should have a problem with this, but for some reason, I just don’t. When I worked at Subway (~12 years ago), we were told by the owner that a cop in uniform’s money was no good. I don’t think that coerced the officers into any kind of unprofessional behavior.
Yeah, I have a problem with it. It undermines the integrity of the job they do, which should be providing the same service to every citizen, without accepting anything from any individual citizen. There is at least the perception that a person who gives freebies will either expect or will actually receive better service than someone who doesn’t. It also is against strict anti-graft principles; if cops are not supposed to be “on the take,” they should not be on the take for anything. If people want to thank cops for the jobs they do, they can give money to the benevolent fund.
Not to hijack at all, but does the same apply for military folks? I mean, my Marine friends hardly ever have to pay for anything- that haircut is a damned coupon for free everything.
I mean, I can see where it’d be a different situation that a police officer because the military person isn’t potentially being bribed to do anything, but I’m just curious. Reading this thread made me think of my friends and their constant freebies, which right away made me think that I really don’t have a problem with officers getting free stuff either.
I don’t think I have the same problem with freebies for the military folks. I’ll have to think more on it, but largely speaking the military folks aren’t here in my neighborhood protecting me from other people here in my neighborhood; they aren’t glancing and me and considering whether or not I’m in need of detaining and arresting.
Instead, they’re inside tanks or cockpits or jeeps or something, many many miles away and generally dealing with people in lands I’ve never been to, taking actions on behalf of my nation for the collective protection of all citizens of my country. So it’s not like Joe Soldier is going to let Evil Qaddafi-agent #1 or Al Qaeda operative #4 slip by because that bastard AHunter3 didn’t treat him to free beer and free cab rides back stateside: what they do on my behalf is way too generically on behalf of all of us.
That could change in a hell of a hurry if the military were suddenly called out to do impose domestic order in the face of civil unrest etc; the moment they’re doing their shtick HERE, and I might be the protected or I might be the civil unrest from which the public order is being protected or I might be a casually ignored victim of unresting and unarrested street thugs because I’ve casually ignored my duty to be extra-nice to the service personnel… that’s a whole 'nother ball of wax.
I have a problem with it, and I’ll give two examples why.
When I had my first job (Baskin Robbins) I had a police officer come through and get a sundae, drink; normal type order. I made the food, and rang him up. I had no idea police didn’t pay, no one told me, and I was young and naive. Well, the officer got rather upset at me. He wouldn’t come right out and say what was wrong, and I was very confused. He later got in touch with my manger over it, and I got in trouble. He saw it as his absolute right, and bullied me and my manager about it. Of course, he must have known it was wrong though, because he wouldn’t admit to me what his problem was.
Near my house there are two gas stations, one that has cute clerks that flirt with the police and allow them to have anything in the store for free. This gas station always has a parking lot full of police cars, at least two, but often more than that. I’ve seen as many as eight there on certain nights. This disgusts me, first off, because these eight cops should either be out patrolling or off duty. It’s just crazy. But, secondly, there is another gas station, not too far up the road, that does not offer these perks. I have no idea why, maybe the owner is principled, maybe they can’t afford it, I don’t know. This gas station is routinely robbed though, twice just last month. There aren’t any police on this end of the road because they are all holed up, having a good time, grab assing up the street.
I think these are predictable outcomes for the practice of giving free stuff to police. Both these examples are a bit far out, but on a smaller scale, I’d imagine they are pretty common. Wanting to give police free food and coffee is fine, but police should say no. It’s just too close to bribery, or mob-type tactics. It’s just too easy to abuse, and there’s no need anyway.