Should the police get free food or drink while on duty?

I would say that it is a form of corruption. Officers should pay their own way. A smile from the public and their regular paycheck is reward enough for a tough job well done.

I would say that it would lead to corruption in some cases and so my answer is NO.

No.It's like taking a bribe.

If a store owner wishes to do that who are we to stop them. I don't think police should expect it.

I don't think the police or the military should view it as an entitlement or a regular occurance to be paid for by the business owner. If someone other than the business owner wants to pick up the check, that's great.

I frequently pick up firefighters' grocery bills when I see them at the store and cops' checks when I see them in a restaurant.

No, public school teachers don't get free lunch at school. My mom is a 2nd grade teacher and her school didn't let her get lunch one day when she was a nickel short.

No they should have to pay for it like the rest of us!

I can see them given a cup of coffee, because that brings them into places that might be robbed. after all many truck stops give truckers free coffee, no free meals though. and no free donuts

No, but they do.

I think they should. And along with the other answer, I think military should too! They are serving our country, trying to make it a safer place. When I worked at a food place as owner/manager I always made sure their meal was on the house. :o)

From who? Maybe just coffee

Yes. They put their life on the line to serve their community. Tax-payers have paid for more frivolous things, against their will.

Everybody who works buy there own food and drink so why should they be any different.

My understanding is that some coffee shops find it in their best interests to provide free or cheaper food to police which signals to would-be criminals that this wouldn't be the coffee shop to hold up. I don't know that we can truly consider that a bribe. Mind you if a cop DEMANDED free stuff or implied that not receiving it might result in, as Andy showed in her link 'slower response times' then the corruption is on the cop, not the shop.

Apparently this guy thought so. http://www.theledger.com/article/20080718/NEWS/477423622/0/SPORTS0199&title=Daytona_Beach_Officer_Fired_For_Demanding_Free_Coffee

and

http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6418

Daytona Beach police officer Lt. Major Garvin, a 15-year veteran, was fired July 8th after failing a polygraph he insisted on taking.

For over a year Lt. Garvin harassed Starbuck's customers and staff indiscriminately, as frequently as six times a night while on duty. The crime rate in Daytona Beach is obviously very low. Garvin insisted on cutting in front of paying customers and demanded free drinks.

Silly Starbuck's employees don't they know that police officers that are out protecting the innocent and placing their life in danger for the public are permitted to steal?

Here's to you Lt. Garvin :tea:

I otherwise wouldn't have posted this except for the fact that Garvin wrote a letter to the chief, saying nothing in his past came close to the accusations made by the Starbucks workers and demanded a polygraph that he PROMPTLY FAILED

Yes, they are way underpaid. So any type of other benefits would be good!

well if you are going to give it to the police you might want ot start with the military too!

I see no reason why not, I know I feel safer going into the store or restaurant when they are present, which is why they are usually allowed to eat free or at half price, and it does not bother me!

No store is required to give them free food and/or drink. The reason most places do offer this service though is to draw police officers into the store, increasing their presence in the store while increasing good will among the community.

There is a classic cartoon. The order taker at the counter is trying to hand the police officer a cup of coffee. He tries to pay for it and says he could be fired if he takes it free. She says she will be fired if she takes his money. Around and around they go....

Whether they should or not is irrelevant.

No. It is called official oppression.

No. It opens up a can of worms. The state should pay them a good salary so they can pay their own way. A good salary for police is very important because if not they may be tempted to accept bribes. It's not right but it's human nature and there are too many people who are willing to pay bribes to the police.

No way. they have to pay for stuff like everyone else. they get paid for their job so they have money. not enough, obviously, but they knew they would be underpaid when they chose to become a cop.

no. immeasurable benefits are not good... that said the entire working class including public servants should earn enough money that buying meals on duty should not break the bank. everyone working is an important contributer to society and their labor should be rewarded with a decent life, there should not be a single full time employee having to choose between electric bill and food... much less the travisty that 30% of americas homeless being FULL TIME EMPLOYED. cops are not as well paid as they should be, but they are closer than most americans

No

Sure!

No, but the they should get meal vouchers

I was a cop for 5.5 years. MOST places I stopped gave me free coffee.
Some places would give me a 50% break on my meal, some only 25%, some nothing.
I didn't take it as a 'bribe', They ALL got the same portection/service from me.
This was between '81 & '86 in downtown Atlanta, GA. I had to fight/wrestle about 5 to 8, drunks/bad guys, a week!
They liked me eating there. I have had, more that one meal interupped, by drunks,
panhandling the customers while they tried to eat. I'd get up and try to run them off, some didn't want to be run off, so, they went to the "Crossbars Hotel", some with a fight, some without. After a while, it got to be known NOT to mess around on my beat! And paying customers could eat there meals in peace.

As long as they are willing to take a lie detector that asks them what is the worst violation of the law or the constitution that they have ever done and have the results instantly downloaded to various internet locations (so they can't bury the truth). Sure... give them some free food, they will be getting food in prison when justice is done and the cops go to prison for being the constitution violators they truly are. Cop = criminal. Don't believe me?? Strap them down to a lie detector. And have a jell cell waiting. Have a lot of jail cells waiting.

no soup for you!

Are you suggesting they focus more on the job like following you around waiting for you to break the law and throw you in jail or slap you with a heavy fine?

No. It's bribery. The fact that they get free food, coffee, whatever, means they're more likely to be at that establishment more often. Meaning better protection for one business over others. Even though the cop nor the proprietor is not seeing it as bribery, it does effect the police presence at those establishments.

I think they should have to pay for things like the rest of us do.

They get payed with our tax dollars to give us tickets. They make plenty of money, and they chose that job. They should pay.

They should get free quaaludes while on duty.

sure why not. :)

NO. way no

No.

by the looks of some poli(e it would be healtier to limit the amount they eat :P

No they should not - their serves should not be for sale.