# Do police still get meals comped from restaurants when on duty? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235 "2016-02-26T19:02:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [February 29, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/41 "2016-02-29T17:06:06Z")
I recall a 24-hour doughnut shop in West Texas used to let cops eat free. They wanted police around, especially late at night. That shop is gone, but I wonder if others in this day and age would still do that. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/42 "2016-02-29T17:16:22Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Where, do you imagine, do they eat when a meal falls during their shifts?šŸ˜• Takeaway in their cars, if TV drama is to be believed. But m Most police work doesnā€™t consist of random touring around, sufficiently far from base and with enough time on their hands to make sitting down in a restaurant a more practicable proposition than either returning to their own canteen (if theyā€™re not likely to be called out to another job) or (if they are) grabbing a takeaway of some sort that can either be stashed for later or jettisoned. After all, what does it do for the policeā€™s public image if people routinely see them sitting around stuffing their faces? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/43 "2016-02-29T18:06:42Z")
Panera in my neck of the woods would give firefighters, hospital workers, and police officers IN UNIFORM 10% off. When my son worked overnights at Steak 'n Shake, heā€™d give them free coffee. That helped him in situations where drunk fights spilled out into the parking lotā€¦he already had the police there. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/44 "2016-02-29T18:14:34Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I _think_ the same thing would have happened if the cop wasnā€™t a customer who has gotten a few freebies. I donā€™t know an objective way to determine that, however. I have no way of knowing whether you were given special consideration or if the cop would have let you off with a warning regardless. Iā€™ve been given warnings and Iā€™ve never been in a position to do favors for the police. But it can give the impression of favoritism, and thatā€™s a tricky position to be placed in. Police forces often take care to not be seen in that light. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/45 "2016-02-29T18:34:04Z")
> [@lost4life](#): > > Iā€™ve heard that a big perk for cops and EMTs are restaurants that will save or replace their food when they have to dash out the door in an emergency. I know the places near VB1 would do that back in the late 80s when mrAru ran ambulance in Virginia Beach. I think a couple places also comped. Though they did request that the guys not discuss work at the tableā€¦something about discussing searching for body parts at accident scenes was inhibiting other dinerā€™s comfort:eek: An absolute oddity when I was working for a security company, once and a while I would have to stop at a couple different convenience stores for gas on the way to work [I did armed guard rounds at a bank op center on Robin Hood Rd in Norfolk VA] at 11 pm, and if I was in uniform I got my coffee and donut free. Freaked me out the few times it happened. [I was running late and went in uniform to save time changing when I got there. Living on 13th Bay St, it wasnā€™t always the safest idea to wander around after dark alone in a uniform with a sidearm ā€¦ it could get you shot at.] I mentioned that I wasnā€™t a cop, and was told by the store owners that I was in a uniform with a badge, and they didnā€™t care that I wasnā€™t a cop. Baffling but I guess understandable, I did theoretically protect the property of the bankā€¦šŸ˜• ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/46 "2016-02-29T19:28:29Z")
Wow, guys, this thread is blowing my mind. Iā€™ve never seen a uniformed officer pay for anything, ever. Iā€™ve worked food service in the past, and I know a lot of current food service and retail folks in both Illinois and Missouri. Cops donā€™t pay for anything. How else could you expect them to help you when you actually need them to do their job? If there are laws or ethical guidelines against it, the cops in these states arenā€™t following them. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/47 "2016-02-29T21:28:12Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > How else could you expect them to help you when you actually need them to do their job? Are you serious? Because they are getting paid to do it! Do firemen get free meals everywhere all the time? Soldiers? Doctors? Airline pilots? Baristas? If not, how do you expect them to do their jobs? ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/48 "2016-02-29T21:31:07Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Are you serious? Because they are getting paid to do it! > > Do firemen get free meals everywhere all the time? Soldiers? Doctors? Airline pilots? Baristas? If not, how do you expect them to do their jobs? Not serious. But itā€™s seriously the stated reason these businesses donate meals to police officers, though. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/49 "2016-02-29T22:22:25Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Not serious. But itā€™s seriously the stated reason these businesses donate meals to police officers, though. Not generally no. They do it so the cops will be stopping by their establishment, which serves as a warning to anyone who thinks about robbing the place. Itā€™s probably a good idea for the cops to visit different establishments around town, concentrating on areas with a high potential for crime, but it doesnā€™t imply the police arenā€™t doing their job to start with. Thatā€™s just the selfish motive, some of these establishments also do it because they like the police in general. Now sometimes there are cops who arenā€™t doing their job if they donā€™t get some favors, but you canā€™t generalize that every time a cop gets a free cup of coffee. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/50 "2016-02-29T23:18:35Z")
Iā€™m not arguing against the practice. Iā€™m just baffled how many people say it is unethical or illegal, considering the prevalence I see around me. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/51 "2016-03-01T03:51:22Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > You could have just asked them. Asking an American cop about his conduct could easily be seen as a challenge to their authori-tah and not end well for the civilian depending on what they look like and what class they belong to. ---
**Author:** ![SpyOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SpyOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpyOne)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/52 "2016-03-01T04:52:23Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Iā€™m not arguing against the practice. Iā€™m just baffled how many people say it is unethical or illegal, considering the prevalence I see around me. It is a fuzzy area. On the one hand, the police are supposed to giv the same service to everyone, and so they are supposed to refuse gifts because that might make it look like the gifter was paying in the hope of getting better service. On the other hand, free coffee is super cheap. AND, a blanket policy of refusing gifts often puts the officers in a difficult position. The chain I work for used to have a blanket policy that their employees would refuse tips. If a customer ever said ā€œkeep the changeā€, we were required to put in in the jar that is collecting for charity. A few years back they changed that policy. Corporate had noticed that lottery players often want to tip their cashier, and will often get upset if the cashier refuses the tip. So now we can accept tips. People who had their house saved by the fire department often want to make a gift to the fire department as a way of saying ā€œthank youā€, and may get upset if they are told the department has to refuse gifts. Same goes for the police. So the rules get bent a little. Some gifts are accepted because thatā€™s just good public relations. And each officer decides for themselves where the line between ā€œharmless giftā€ and ā€œbriberyā€ falls. And while we all know that the police are supposed to treat everyone the same, we also all believe that having a sticker on our car that shows we donate to the Fraternal Order of Police might turn a ticket into a warning. ---
**Author:** ![SpyOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SpyOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpyOne)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/53 "2016-03-01T04:53:52Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > Asking an American cop about his conduct could easily be seen as a challenge to their authori-tah and not end well for the civilian depending on what they look like and what class they belong to. Pitching that more favorably: it will make them self-conscious about it. They might pay for a meal they would have gotten for free specifically because they think you might make an issue of it if they donā€™t. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2016, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/54 "2016-03-01T05:35:41Z")
We used to get a free soda or an occasional meal from certain places. The official stance was that we were supposed to try to pay for it until they insisted we donā€™t. Even that stopped when David Clarke became Sheriff. Before I retired the policy was to either not take the item or put the money into the tip jar. Donā€™t know what it is now. My brother is a park cop. They used to get tons of shit for nothing, especially during the state fair. He could literally get all the cream puffs he could take home. And while working theyā€™d have pallets of soda cases and tons of food from stands in the break room. Not anymore. Same policy, pay for it or put the correct amount in the tip jar or leave it on the counter and walk. Depending on the situation and how you interpret it, taking free stuff or even a discount could be Misconduct in Public Office. Ainā€™t worth it and if someone in the general public sees you get something free it looks real bad. ---
**Author:** ![Lorne\_Armstrong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@Lorne\_Armstrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorne_Armstrong)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/55 "2016-03-01T07:10:24Z")
A friend of mine use to work the 12am-8am shift at a 7-11. He brought a portable hibachi to work and every night he fired it up and threw hot dogs, chicken, and burgers on it for law enforcement. He was a police buff and had known many of the local LEOs for years. It was a sight to see. ---
**Author:** ![ultimate11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/49beb7/32.png) [@ultimate11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultimate11)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/56 "2016-03-01T12:57:48Z")
I currently work at McDonalds, and normally when the cops show up (for food, of course), the foodā€™s on the house, at least according to the managerā€™s discretion. I suppose itā€™s due to courtesy or something. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/57 "2016-03-01T13:25:51Z")
I live near the police academy of NYC (by now ex-, I think). The corner coffee shop does not give them free meals, or the shop would be out of business. I was pleasantly made aware of that one day when I forgot my wallet on the counter until I was a block away. I ran breathlessly back and was laughed at in a friendly way by the owner and about five or six tables of cops not in uniform. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/58 "2016-03-01T13:59:32Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Iā€™m not arguing against the practice. Iā€™m just baffled how many people say it is unethical or illegal, considering the prevalence I see around me. Speeding is illegal, too, but everyone does it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/59 "2016-03-01T14:34:17Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Speeding is illegal, too, but everyone does it. I could never convince my mother that was a valid excuse, but everybody else accepts it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235/60 "2016-03-01T15:39:13Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Iā€™m not arguing against the practice. Iā€™m just baffled how many people say it is unethical or illegal, considering the prevalence I see around me. In MA, it appears to be covered by the State Ethics Commission. Iā€™m not sure if Iā€™m interpreting this correctly, but repeated meals from a shop would at least require reporting this gift. This is from an Advisory, so Iā€™m not sure if this has force of law, or if it applies to police officers. No matter how you slice it, itā€™s pretty low on the list of perceived conflicts of interest. [http://www.mass.gov/ethics/education-and-training-resources/educational-materials/advisories/advisory-04-02-gifts-and-gratuities.html](http://www.mass.gov/ethics/education-and-training-resources/educational-materials/advisories/advisory-04-02-gifts-and-gratuities.html) > [@](#): > > Similarly, a consistent pattern of free meals from one source to a single public employee over a period of time would be of substantial value if the combined value of the free meals is worth $50 or more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-still-get-meals-comped-from-restaurants-when-on-duty/747235.md?page=4)