4 ms·

Pretty sure it's illegal for anyone to bribe cops, but it's still a tradition as old as policing.

bdcravens 5y ago
In most places, restaurants aren't allowed to give them free food. (edit: as a commenter pointed out, may be more of a police policy than a legal one) Yet you'll always see restaurants frequented by cops on-duty - guess which ones are breaking those rules.
- anamexis 5y ago
  Can you give specific examples of laws that disallow restaurants giving cops free or discounted food?
  - bdcravens 5y ago
    Honestly no, other than conversations I've had in various places with people who ran some eating establishments. It may be more of a police department policy, as the other commenter mentioned.
  - kafkaIncarnate 5y ago
    https://jcope.ny.gov/gifts https://jcope.ny.gov/gifts http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0112/Sections/0112.3148.html http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Displ...
    - anamexis 5y ago
      Right, I know there are laws preventing law enforcement from accepting gifts. I was skeptical that there are laws preventing businesses from offering them.
- defaultname 5y ago
  In most places the onus is on the police not to accept free food. It is their professional duty not to take free items. Because it starts to smell a bit like a protection racket, even if originally people offered out of true generosity/thankfulness.
  - bdcravens 5y ago
    I think you may be right that's it's less a legal issue than a self-policing issue. Not doing so does have the risk of devolving into corruption. Here's an example of it going too far that direction, where the police arrested everyone for not giving them free food: https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/16/asia/pakistan-police-detain-staff-free-burgers-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/16/asia/pakistan-police-detain-s...
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
defaultname 5y ago
It's a enormous stretch to call it bribery. Amazon isn't asking the police to look the other way. They aren't encouraging anything unethical or a breach of trust. Any more than a free laundry soap sampler in the mail is bribery. Should the police have regulations about this sort of gift? Should, they probably do, and those that don't should.

In most places, restaurants aren't allowed to give them free food. (edit: as a commenter pointed out, may be more of a police policy than a legal one) Yet you'll always see restaurants frequented by cops on-duty - guess which ones are breaking those rules.

anamexis 5y ago
Can you give specific examples of laws that disallow restaurants giving cops free or discounted food?
- bdcravens 5y ago
  Honestly no, other than conversations I've had in various places with people who ran some eating establishments. It may be more of a police department policy, as the other commenter mentioned.
- kafkaIncarnate 5y ago
  https://jcope.ny.gov/gifts https://jcope.ny.gov/gifts http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0112/Sections/0112.3148.html http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Displ...
  - anamexis 5y ago
    Right, I know there are laws preventing law enforcement from accepting gifts. I was skeptical that there are laws preventing businesses from offering them.
defaultname 5y ago
In most places the onus is on the police not to accept free food. It is their professional duty not to take free items. Because it starts to smell a bit like a protection racket, even if originally people offered out of true generosity/thankfulness.
- bdcravens 5y ago
  I think you may be right that's it's less a legal issue than a self-policing issue. Not doing so does have the risk of devolving into corruption. Here's an example of it going too far that direction, where the police arrested everyone for not giving them free food: https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/16/asia/pakistan-police-detain-staff-free-burgers-intl-hnk/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/16/asia/pakistan-police-detain-s...
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

defaultname 5y ago

It's a enormous stretch to call it bribery. Amazon isn't asking the police to look the other way. They aren't encouraging anything unethical or a breach of trust. Any more than a free laundry soap sampler in the mail is bribery. Should the police have regulations about this sort of gift? Should, they probably do, and those that don't should.