# Cops vs. Donuts? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 18, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737 "2014-10-18T22:49:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bubba001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f17d59/32.png) [@bubba001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubba001)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/1 "2014-10-18T22:49:00Z")
I was reading a thread on police officers and the use of force here, and I was wondering - Do cops really eat that many donuts? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/2 "2014-10-18T22:58:45Z")
I don’t. I eat very little when I’m on the clock. I don’t like a full stomach when I’m working. But one theory many do may be dietary. One or 2 doughnuts is easy to scarf down when one doesn’t have time for a sit down lunch. High in calories (200-350 each depending on type) it’s easy to fill up the tank in a short period of time. Also, doughnuts tend to be high in calories, fats, and sugar. Drinking a cup of coffee with one allows the caffeine to use those sources as a burst of energy. Nothin’ like being all hopped up on 'feine and strapping on a gun! ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/3 "2014-10-18T23:06:45Z")
I am not in law enforcement, but I’ve always figured that you see cops in donut shops because they have to go **somewhere** for their breaks and donut shops and fast food joints are convenient for quick breaks. It certainly seems more sensible to me to take a break at the nearest convenient place rather than going back to the station. And then once people have seen the occasional cop in a place they don’t think the cop should be, confirmation bias might kick in (you remember the times it happened and forget the times it didn’t) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/4 "2014-10-18T23:41:10Z")
Since I doubt there are many scientific studies on donuts as percentage of diet of law enforcement officials vs the general public, let’s move this over to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/5 "2014-10-18T23:44:19Z")
Historically, the association of cops and donuts probably originated because diners and donut shops used to be the only places open in the middle of the night. Cops on break naturally would end up there, and donuts would be one of the most available snacks. My cousin’s husband is a cop, and she was a court bailiff for a while too. Whenever they came over to the house they would bring donuts. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/6 "2014-10-19T00:28:46Z")
According to Jim Gaffigan, cops know the difference between right and wrong and not liking donuts is _WRONG_! ---
**Author:** ![Recusant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@Recusant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Recusant)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/7 "2014-10-19T00:39:47Z")
I suspect the link may also have something to do with long stakeouts: doughnuts don’t really become unappealing just because they’ve been sitting in a box for a few hours, and they don’t need to be kept at a constant temperature. Plus, they come in many flavors, so it’s easy to get something everyone will like. ---
**Author:** ![Artemis\_Tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/8 "2014-10-19T00:43:43Z")
You can also fit up to 4 donuts on the barrel. Just make sure the safety is on when you take a bite. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/9 "2014-10-19T00:46:22Z")
No cite for this, it happened more than 30 years ago. It was reported in the Tucson newspapers that a woman needed a report from a police officer for a traffic accident or something related and called 911 because she went to a Dunkin’ Donuts to look for an officer and couldn’t find any there. Of course she was charged with misuse of 911 because she could have gone to her local police substation and picked up the report there. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/10 "2014-10-19T01:02:57Z")
> [@Artemis\_Tardis](#): > > You can also fit up to 4 donuts on the barrel. Just make sure the safety is on when you take a bite. that practice was more successful and safer on the long barreled revolvers. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/11 "2014-10-19T01:26:59Z")
My local cops hang out at the IHOP. I wonder what that means. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/12 "2014-10-19T02:26:16Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > that practice was more successful and safer on the long barreled revolvers. Which usually don’t have safeties. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/13 "2014-10-19T02:41:15Z")
> [@Artemis\_Tardis](#): > > You can also fit up to 4 donuts on the barrel. Just make sure the safety is on when you take a bite. And you can use a maple bar as a suppressor. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/14 "2014-10-19T02:57:42Z")
I have another question…why is it legal for cops to accept free coffee or food or whatever? Sure seems like a conflict of interest. At the restaurant I work at, the owner started giving away high-priced meals to _one_ officer (during once a week concerts during the summer)…a few years later and there are several lined up at the back door every thursday. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/15 "2014-10-19T03:05:32Z")
Surely everyone here has seen the relevant bumper sticker, yes? [D.A.R.E. to keep cops off donuts](http://www.insideout-tees.com/images/sample_dare.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/16 "2014-10-19T03:07:56Z")
[Donutland.](http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/333/9/4/donut_land_by_nybbis-d33wo29.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/17 "2014-10-19T03:18:21Z")
Back in West Texas, when I worked the graveyard shift at Dunkin’ Donuts fresh out of high school, the shop’s policy was free coffee and doughnuts for police. We wanted them close by. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/18 "2014-10-19T03:31:14Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > that practice was more successful and safer on the long barreled revolvers. > [@pkbites](#): > > Which usually don’t have safeties. that is why they were more successful and safer. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/19 "2014-10-19T03:55:12Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > I have another question…why is it legal for cops to accept free coffee or food or whatever? Same reason it’s legal for you to take it if offered. But keep in mind, many agencies absolutely forbid it. Both the office I retired from and the department I work for now have written policies that make taking anything free as a fire-able offense. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737/20 "2014-10-19T04:07:43Z")
I haven’t seen any local officers at the Dunkin’ Donuts in my town. I do see lots and lots and lots of state troopers at the Sheetz nearest the state police barracks. When I had night classes, I’d stop at that Sheetz if I needed gas because the odds of being harassed or having some other problem were approximately zero with so many state cops around. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-vs-donuts/701737.md?page=2)