Pros and Cons of Police Gratuities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Pros and Cons of Police Gratuities - Essay Example This means that gratuities in the police force are for favors, called for now or later. Secondly, issuing gratuities to police officers is a way of seeking preferential treatment. Newburn argues that businesses that offer gratuities are in essence encouraging greater police presence near their business (Newburn 10) Additionally, gratuities are a form of temptation to many officers. An officer who is used to a free lunch at a kiosk is easy to manipulate, to accept a bribe disguised as a gratuity. Furthermore, once officers are used to gratuities, they take it as an obligation of members of the public to give it before they can receive the services. This, in turn, becomes a habit and only a few who can afford to pay to receive the services. Acceptance of gratuities imposes a sense of obligation to the officer accepting the gratuity. Therefore, the officer bears the obligation to deliver a request for service or favor. Gratuities also expose officers to biased judgment since they are likely to treat the members of the public who give them gratuities with favor. Firstly, police work involves a lot of risk. According to Martin, â€Å"In police work, results are measured in such terms as the number of arrests and amount of weapons and drugs recovered† (Martin web). These risk activities carried out by police officers calls for a form of appreciation in form of gratuity, at least to appreciate their hard work. Secondly, it is a form of appreciation for service offered besides their line of duty. For example, an appreciation after offering services where two vehicles had an accident qualifies as a gratuity. It is rude for a police officer to refuse an appreciation by the parties. Thirdly, it can be argued that gratuities are so small to cultivate any favor.