Pg. 36 No More Free Meals
In the case of the Withrow incident, a restaurant owner provided reduced cost meals to troopers. Troopers came to expect this service from the owner because it was a standard practice. The service was abruptly stopped and all meals returned to full price. It was later discovered towards the end of the case, that the owner’s son was arrested for DWI. Therefore, the conclusion is one of the troopers caused the practice to stop due to the arrest of the owner’s son (Withrow & Dailey, 2004).
Owners of restaurants are not entitled to preferential treatment by the troopers simply because they offer them reduced cost meals. Restaurant owners are entitled to the same protection that any other member of the community would expect. Troopers or any officer of the law are not entitled to free meals unless the establishment desires to offer them.
The arrest of the owner’s son for DWI was unfortunate. However, the owner’s son should not have been drinking and driving. If the officer who arrested him had chosen to over look the incident, the officer would have been unethical. Further, the possibility existed that the owner’s son would have injured himself or worse injured or killed someone else. There could have been corrupt overtones if an investigation had been conducted and revealed troopers were routinely the recipients of reduced meals from the owner. Instead, the officer was responsible and performed their duties in a responsible and professional manor.
The adverse reaction by the officers in the restaurant was less than professional. Politely paying for their meals was the expected response without overt repercussions. Corruption is an ugly fact of law enforcement. If a business owner makes a genuine offer of kindness it should not have corrupt under tones. To err on the side of caution is always the best way.
Before President Kennedy was killed, he signed a proclamation that designated the 15th of May as Peace Officers Memorial Day. The week of the 15th would be referred to as Police Week (About National Police Week, n.d.). During this week restaurant owners could provide free meals just like they do for active duty and retired military on Veterans’ Day. There isn’t anything corrupt in this and the offer is genuine for the service they provide to their country. The same ideology should be applied to police officers.
References
Fraternal Order of Police, (n.d.) About Police Week Retrieved from
http://www.policeweek.org/index.html
Withrow, B. & Dailey, J. (2004). “A Model of Circumstantial Corruptibility.” Police Quarterly
7 (2): P 159-178
Bruce, this is an article that I have mixed emotions about. On one side I feel that police should be entitled to small perks within their community, but unfortunately some officer's take advantage of the communities hospitality. If you look at the job, and what they risk on a daily basis, for very low pay, a few perks should be authorized. If we would elevate law enforcement pay to what they should be receiving, I would have a different opinion. I know the law prohibits them from taking perks, but living in Great Bridge I see the local cops getting coffee and donuts every morning. I do know this, I feel totally comfortable when going to this particular 7 11 and normally let my car run when I go in to get coffee every morning. 7 out of 10 times an officer is rolling in or already in the store. As a owner or employee, having police around a majority of your shift is a good thing. If a donut and coffee is all that is necessary to keep them close by, I would say it is a small price to pay, vice being robbed.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I see the local officers in a local WAWA here in Portsmouth walk up to the counter with a coffee and the clerk let's them go. I see nothing wrong with this. The question then is can we all be adult enough to know where the line is and not cross it? I don’t know. Should an officer have a free meal or reduced meal while on shift? I have mixed feelings. I want them on the road working. But they do have to eat. I certainly don’t want to see several cars in one location chatting. I have an issue with that. That means they aren’t where they need to be and someone’s neighborhood is not being patrolled because they want to congregate. I think free coffee is acceptable. I also feel that free meals during Law Enforcement week is the right thing to do because they do perform a thankless job. Thank you for your comment.
DeleteBruce,
ReplyDeleteWell I do feel that the restaurant son should have went to jail. Now the restaurant father shouldn't stop the reduce meals. This plainly shows that the restaurant owner and his son wanted favoritism from the police force. Now is it right to do that I think it depends on the business to have reduce meals and free coffee to law enforcements. Now if you doing it for the kindness of your heart then I say go for it. If you doing it to get special favors when you get caught breaking the law then no.
I think that reducing the price of meals was a grand gesture. However, if the restaurant owner wanted to restore the price of meal back to the regular price, it would have been received a lot better if he had done it before his son got arrested. He made it seemed as if he was upset with the troopers because of the arrest and wanted to get back at them, so he restored the meals back to regular prices. This does come across as being unethical but morally, it is the restaurant owner's right.
ReplyDeleteThis situation happens all the time within my department and my office. We arrest a worker for DUI of a well known restaurant that we frequent. Immediately the word gets around within the office not to go back to the establishment again. I agree the owners son deserved to go to jail for the crime committed.
ReplyDeleteBruce: You raised good points in your blog. I like the idea of a National Police Week where gratuities could be given to law enforcement officers without the appearance of the expectation of favoritism or a payback to the giver. Professor Taylor
ReplyDelete