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This is the first of hopefully a series of posts about what is and isn't police corruption.
Today's question is about cops getting half-priced, or free, meals in restaurants. Is that corruption? Is it a problem?
I don't want to sandbag anyone so I'll give you some examples.
Our department did not allow officers to get half-priced or free meals. At one point the union was getting signatures on a letter asking that the regulation be changed so officers could get free meals but the letter was never submitted because most of the officers refused to sign it.
At one point when I was a supervisor an officer told me he liked to eat in a certain restaurant but it was such a hassle with the manager demanding that he not pay that he'd quit going in. I went and spoke with the manager and explained it was against the rules. He explained it was their corporate policy to give police officers discounts or free meals.
"I suspected it was because out of 36 officers, only three took the free meal."
"How do you know the number."
"We keep track. That's corporate policy, too."
I stopped a traffic violator one day and had already given him a warning a month before and I was writing him a ticket. He said, "I'm the manager of the Waterwheel Restaurant."
"I know."
"Have you been getting free meals there?"
"Nope. Don't believe in it."
"Well, a lot of your buddies and sergeants have been getting free meals."
"Sign here. It's not admitting guilt it's simply acknowledging that you received a copy of the ticket. It's a real shame one of those other guys didn't stop you, isn't it?"
He glared a minute, laughed, and said, "I guess it is."
For the restaurants, it's sort of like Donald Trump's bribing of politicians. They give free meals so when they need something the cops will do what they want. Some of the cafes that stayed open after the bars closed wanted to give free meals so cops would eat there and there would be less trouble.
When I was in training I was told my older officers that the pay wasn't good and the police discounts should be considered a legitimate fringe benefit.
So, what do you think?
They give discounted meals for many reasons and expectations, I'd guess. In my opinion, the MAIN one is that it's good for security to have cops coming and going with some regularity.
I never charged cops for coffe or soup at one of the places I managed. They do a ****ty, thankless job. It was my way of saying thanks. They accepted because I told them it was the only way they were getting coffe. I've only gotten one speeding ticket in my life, and I paid it, because....gasp....I was speeding.
id think a more appropriate discussion on police corruption would be on something like the blue wall of silence as opposed to some free french fries
I was a cop for thirty years. I thought it was a great job. When I retired the department had a party and I was surprised at how many people I'd arrested or sent to prison showed up for my retirement. I didn't consider it thankless, either.
I didn't mind people offering but I also supported the department's policy on not allowing officers to take freebies.
But, tell me, Kevin, if I had stopped in an told you that I'd been told of the free coffee or breakfasts and that it was against department policy and asked you to please quit making the offer, what would you have done?
Respected your rules, charged you for the soup, and said thanks.
I know that. Do you approve of restaurants buying extra police protection by giving officers free meals?
I am curious. What makes you think that's the MAIN one?
Okay. A few questions now. Coffee free to officers in uniform. What about detectives? What if detectives wanted coffee? Would you have given them coffee?
We had officers making the same sorts of arguments that some are making here to justify freebies. One of our officers was a lay baptist preacher and he was always saying, "Preachers get discounts." I would say, "We have to be better than preachers."
But now when all the restaurants that are open late are offering free coffee and one starts offering half-priced meals. The officers start going there. So, the other restaurants, who want the benefits of having officers in, need to meet the competition, don't they?
A new restaurant opened in our town and the beat officers stopped by to meet the owners. They'd been open a month when I went in. I had rank and one of the two owners started talking to me and he said, "We're new and we're running on a shoestring. The officers have been coming in to have lunch and meet us and we offer tham the meal on the house and they've all turned us down. Honest, we like cops but we can't afford to give them all cash." I told them the overwhelming majority of the officers didn't expect anything other than a decent meal at a fair price and good service. That was the truth.
A young officer worked for our department for about 18 months and chaffed at the restrictions. He argued there was nothing wrong with free meals. Fine. It was against the rules. He was offered a job with a larger city and moved. Before he left he stopped by to tell me what a jerk I was. I wished him luck.
Six months later he stopped in again. He wanted to know if he applied to come back to our department whether or not I'd hold the things he'd said against me. I told him I wouldn't and he told me it wasn't at all like he thought. When he was a rookie, still in training, he was put out on foot in a block with a very nice restaurant that didn't give cops free meals. The restaurant's parking lot was across the street from the restaurant. The young officer's job was to write every restaurant customer a ticket for jaywalking as they went from the parking lot to the restaurant. After a few days the restaurant started graciously offering free meals to police officers. Some years later the officer was leaving because he'd gotten a job as chief in another town. We talked about how he would institute rules to stop freebies and ticket fixing when it was the norm there.
One of the problems is, citizens don't see a problem giving police officers a free meal or a television at cost.
They aren't buying extra protection. They are encouraging patronage. If I owned a 7-11 or 24-hour gas station, you can bet I'd be offering free coffee and soda to the cops. I've worked in three restaurants. Two of them offered 50% discounts. Both told me that was the reason.
Your idea that they do it to get a break on a ticket is a little silly. Forces one to try to throw their weight around. "Hey, remember me? My restaurant gives you a discount on your meals." Pfft. I'd even be embarrassed to SAY it.
Okay. A few questions now. Coffee free to officers in uniform. What about detectives? What if detectives wanted coffee? Would you have given them coffee?
We had officers making the same sorts of arguments that some are making here to justify freebies. One of our officers was a lay baptist preacher and he was always saying, "Preachers get discounts." I would say, "We have to be better than preachers."
But now when all the restaurants that are open late are offering free coffee and one starts offering half-priced meals. The officers start going there. So, the other restaurants, who want the benefits of having officers in, need to meet the competition, don't they?
A new restaurant opened in our town and the beat officers stopped by to meet the owners. They'd been open a month when I went in. I had rank and one of the two owners started talking to me and he said, "We're new and we're running on a shoestring. The officers have been coming in to have lunch and meet us and we offer tham the meal on the house and they've all turned us down. Honest, we like cops but we can't afford to give them all cash." I told them the overwhelming majority of the officers didn't expect anything other than a decent meal at a fair price and good service. That was the truth.
A young officer worked for our department for about 18 months and chaffed at the restrictions. He argued there was nothing wrong with free meals. Fine. It was against the rules. He was offered a job with a larger city and moved. Before he left he stopped by to tell me what a jerk I was. I wished him luck.
Six months later he stopped in again. He wanted to know if he applied to come back to our department whether or not I'd hold the things he'd said against me. I told him I wouldn't and he told me it wasn't at all like he thought. When he was a rookie, still in training, he was put out on foot in a block with a very nice restaurant that didn't give cops free meals. The restaurant's parking lot was across the street from the restaurant. The young officer's job was to write every restaurant customer a ticket for jaywalking as they went from the parking lot to the restaurant. After a few days the restaurant started graciously offering free meals to police officers. Some years later the officer was leaving because he'd gotten a job as chief in another town. We talked about how he would institute rules to stop freebies and ticket fixing when it was the norm there.
One of the problems is, citizens don't see a problem giving police officers a free meal or a television at cost.
What a truly wonderful idea. I'll be looking forward to seeing the thread you start. Meanwhile, if you don't like the ones I start, feel free to ignore them.
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