There is also the element of simply wanting to say thank you to the officers. They are doing what is a pretty thankless job. How many times do you hear someone praising a cop? How many times do you hear someone calling a cop a jerk - just for doing their job? And police officers don’t make a lot of money, yet when something happens that has all of us running the other way, they have to run in and take care of the situation. Its akin to the sentiment that you see in airport bars where someone will by a drink for military personnel.
I used to work in a convenience store, and the cops insisted on paying, every time. But we did let them use the bathroom, which wasn’t open to the public at the time.
Probably we were supposed to have a public bathroom, as we had a deli and sold ready-to-eat sandwiches, whole chickens, and ribs. But the owner didn’t want anyone using his precious potty but the employees and the cops.
A friend of mine was a tattoo artist. He never charged a cop, and he suggested I never charge either. It was a great piece of advice. I probably give away $100 of stuff a year. Totally coincidentally I have gotten many warnings where others would have gotten a speeding ticket.
I agree with you. Police protection is supposed to be universal; you shouldn’t have to “do something for them” in order for them to defend you. It’s their job.
Plus, as you mention, if every business does it, does it become necessary for them to give out real bribes in order to stand out? It looks like a racket to me.
This I have no problem with. On duty cops need to use the bathroom sometimes, and they don’t necessarily have the time to get to a place that has a free public bathroom.
I had a friend graduate a year ahead of me in high school that became a state trooper and worked in our county. This guy never paid for anything and became the biggest bullycop I’ve ever heard of. Think bad southern cop in any horror movie. I saw him eat a meal, get desert and a coffee to go in a small restaurant and the “new” waitress brought him a bill. He said I think there is a problem with the bill, go ask your manager. She said the manager is out right now and asked what was wrong with the bill. He said, “Its on my table!” He then snorted and got up and left.
Later that year he got shot 21 times while taking a nap in his car. I’m jus saying.
The police presence is when the cops swing by and get a cup of coffee or a donut. It’s not (or it shouldn’t be) the speed in which they respond. It’s just that if someone who is thinking of robbery, or even a little rowdiness, sees a cop car in the lot, they’ll probably change their minds. Maybe they go somewhere else. Maybe they decide that tonight’s not a good night. But the business benefits from having cops visibly hanging around. If the cops know that a c store will let them get a cup of coffee and use the facilities, then they’ll go more often, and the regulars at that store will usually know that cops frequent it.
Can you provide a cite on a department that expressly permit it? I know of none.
We routinely pounded it into rookies heads that they are not to take anything for free, and if someone refuses your money you tell them you’ll get into serious trouble if you don’t pay. If they still refuse payment, put the money in the tip jar or leave it on the counter and walk.
I have seen mega problems arise from officers getting free stuff. It may even be illegal depending on how a states Misconduct in Public Office statute is written.
WTF? An officer is supposed to go an entire shift without eating or drinking?
:rolleyes:
It’s called courtesy. It isn’t as if officers aren’t going to respond to a 211 if it isn’t at their favorite watering hole. However, if you are a cash-heavy business that has a lot of in-and-out clientele–like a diner, restaurant, or lunch stand–it makes a lot of sense to be the place that cops visit regularly on their shifts. Most departments have an official policy about accepting “gifts” (that they have to be reported, processed, and if above the legal value, taxed) and a few may technically prohibit courtesy gifts, but many look the other way as long as the value is minor. As for “getting a freebie”, remember that there are also plenty of cups of coffee dumped into the trash or lunches left uneaten because patrol officers get the call on a Code 2 or Code 3 while they’re in mid-break, and they don’t get reimbursed for that. Unlike civilians, they don’t get to stand on their legal right to an uninterrupted 45 minute lunch break.
Also, people spit on them, swing at them, and occasionally shoot at them on a regular basis, something that probably doesn’t happen much at your job, which likely doesn’t involve walking into a domestic disturbance or viewing a crime scene where some crankhead tried to flush a baby down a toilet, so I’m inclined to look the other way on a minor bending of department policy so long as it is offered rather than insisted upon.
Stranger
That’s why you should never remain in a parked car; you’re tactically vulnerable. You should take a nap in your crackwhore mistress’ barricaded apartment while having her seven year old chronically truant son clean your service weapon and monitor your radio for calls. Didn’t you guys watch The Shield?
Stranger
There was a 7-11 near my college that gave free coffee to police. It’s probably the safest one in the city as there was always at least one police car parked there any time of the day.
When I worked in a coffee shop (downtown Montreal fyi) the owners very clearly laid out the rule that cops weren’t to be charged for anything.
The owners would much rather offer freebies to cops in order to have them around their business more including times where they were more vulnerable. I worked the night shift (11pm to 7am) and loved to have them around. They were very nice to me and often tipped well on top of making me feel more secure.
I can’t say that this bought any particular favoritism for my employer at the time but the one time I had to call them over for a problem they showed up VERY fast.
IMO, it’s the cheapest security a small business can get and very well worth it.
Perks for cops is really not a form of bribery - at least, not for most of the people who do it. I do $50 tax returns for police officers ($50 because I’m not allowed to do it for free - all of the departments around us are very strict about that). I do it as a thank you with no intent to get preferential treatment. It’s the same reason I offer discounted returns to active-duty military personnel - as a way to be patriotic and to help people who make our country strong. If I benefit at all, it’s because these folks refer their friends and family who then pay full price.
Besides, if I was going to get preferential treatment, I’d already have that. My wife is a citizen patrol volunteer and we’re both on the board of the nonprofit that helps raise funds for the volunteers.
Cite?
Years ago my first job was working in a fish & chip shop. (This was in the UK, which is why I doubt the above quote) We’d get uniformed policemen occasionally for cod and chips. They would be charged a pound, when normal price was three pounds. This wasn’t very often, maybe about one night in three.
IANAC, but a municipal employee. It is City Policy that no employee may accept gifts from any one entity totalling over $25 in a calendar year. I am frequently offered free drinks, but have only accepted a few in my 10 years on the job–only when I sensed that the person would be offended at my refusal.
When Mrs. Hollister owned a business, she gave a pretty steep discount to military and law enforcement personnel. It’s quite common and I don’t see anything wrong with it.
At the coffeehouse where my wife works, they’ll give uniformed police officers free food and drink to encourage them to sit there while working on reports, thus discouraging robbers.
On a related note, about a year ago I was shocked to discover that the Firehouse Subs chain–whose entire marketing image (name of chain, names of menu items, decor, platitudes on cups, etc.) is built on the fact that it was started by a couple ex-firefighters–does not give free or even discounted meals to actual firefighters. At least, not in southern Virginia. I had assumed that it would be company policy to do so. I haven’t been back since.
It is true, yes, although I can’t find any evidence for it in a minute or two.
Still illegal to serve them alcohol. Sometimes leads to fun like this: Paramedic tried to buy wine wearing only his thong after supermarket staff 'refused to serve him in uniform' | Daily Mail Online
Edit: Peter what happens in practice is not what is actually in the statue books 
I did mention they might be honest and uninfluenced. And I would do the same for the reasons you mention, but from a business point of view, it is often used as bribery. As another poster mentioned, its beneficial to have police officers at your establishment for protection, and if its on their own time, they’ve done nothing wrong, and you’re being dutiful on top of that. Sorry, didn’t intend for my overabundance of cynicism to impugn honest people.
If you give something to the cop, and he gives something back (as a cop), then you are de facto bribing him. His service as a cop is not his to contract out.
I’ve always thought that we need a federal oversight program so that people who are from out of the cops jurisdiction can come by and make sure the cops are not crooked. And I’d even support staging a few problems just to make sure those people aren’t going to get bribed into giving them a good review.
If this were to happen, then those insignificant bribes mentioned above woudn’t bother me so much, as I’d assume the less honest cops wouldn’t still be around. Instead, I have to basically get to know all of the ones who work here.
I understand what’s in it for the business owners. I just don’t think we should encourage police officers to shop around for gifts given that they have the power to decide who gets better service. The cop in ChrisBooth12’s story was pretty candid about it:
I don’t know if he really should have been fired for this, but he definitely needed to get disciplined.
This is true, I’ll admit.
Perhaps, but in no way does this entail that I should therefore give them stuff. It’s their job and they’ve chosen it out of their own free will.
I guess I don’t have the same respect for cops (and it seems, military personnel) as you or others in this thread. GQ isn’t really the place for it though. I’m not really afraid of rampant crime either.