MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2015                                

…Could Wind Up Being Quite High

Last Wednesday in The Blower’s “Muckraker Mendacity” E-dition, Mr. Muck was talking about the Cincinnati Police Department and Police Union were promoting a dry cleaning establishment that was offering a 50% discount on dry cleaning services to all police officers and firefighters in our community.

“There are always merchants who offer Free Stuff for our police officers and firefighters,” our Muckraker explained. “But the Department is obliged to guard itself against accusations of leniency in exchange for the loot. The Police Department needs the community’s support to do its job. Officers must be perceived as an honest group of crime fighters, not a bunch of coffee and doughnut mooching do-nothings.

For instance, it would be a bad idea for officers to ignoring parking violations at or near the front of the store that cause unnecessary traffic congestion or ignoring traffic violations committed by drivers of the company fleet, simply because officers receive 50% off their cleaning bills. 

The most common argument for the “no gratuity” policy is the slippery slope argument. The acceptance of even the smallest benefit will start an inevitable slide toward serious corruption. The only difference in accepting a cup of coffee or $1000 (in unmarked twenties) is the degree of wrongness. Once an officer gets in the habit of receiving things for free, it is easier to accept a large bribe. Who knows whether the owners of the dry cleaning company have other business ventures, such as those that hold liquor licenses, and are otherwise regulated by the police? 

These are critical considerations that must always be considered and therefore measured against when such offers are made.  A blanket approval to accept 50% off the cost of any service or product is never appropriate.  If not in this instance, where would you draw the line, and where would it stop. A gratuity can be defined as “any discount, gift or benefit one receives by virtue of their profession.” 

Finally, the Police Union disseminating this information is a “secret handshake” or subliminal message of “hands off” for a “friend of the police.”  Such activity is always at the core of corruption. 

Mr. Muck says the gesture by this particular company might have been well-intended but, sanctioning such an offer sends the wrong message to the cops. And shouldn’t any well-run police department have a policy forbidding Free Stuff, anyway?