Ethical Violation Of Free Meals

Words: 352
Pages: 2

I am on the fence about whether it should be an ethics violation when a police officer accepts a free meal. If the meal is given just as a thank you with no strings attached, I do not see anything wrong with it. When a free meal is accepted or given as a bribe, then it should be, without a doubt, considered an ethics violation. Accepting a free meal can be a slippery slope. Del Pozo stated two reasons that a free meal could create a potential problem. The first being that an officer who accepts a free meal may feel as though they are in debt to whomever offered it to them. The second problem is that the free meal could create a relationship. In most cases, a relationship between the community and the police force is beneficial if it is a positive