Posted on 07/17/2008 8:49:47 AM PDT by Huntress
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A police lieutenant in Daytona Beach was fired over accusations that he threatened slower emergency response times if he was not given complimentary specialty Starbucks coffee drinks.
An internal police investigation found that Daytona Lt. Major Garvin received free coffee for about two years from a city Starbucks coffee store.
However, when recently denied free coffee from new management, Garvin allegedly told managers that he could change the police department's response time if they refuse to give him complimentary drinks.
Garvin is accused of saying, "If something happens, either we can respond really fast or we could respond really slow. I've been coming here for years and I've been getting whatever I want. I'm the difference between you getting a two-minute response time, if you needed a little help, or a 15 minutes response time."
However, when confronted about the comments, police said Garvin agreed to take a polygraph test.
When asked whether or not he threatened managers with adverse response times, Garvin responded, "no."
But polygraph test results suggested that the officer was lying, Local 6's Tarik Minor reported. Garvin was then fired.
Starbucks employees said Garvin visited the Starbucks store six times a day during his shifts and intimidated some workers during visits.
"I want somebody protecting my streets who is honest and trustworthy," Starbucks customer Adam Cuddy said. "So, if he is going to fail a polygraph, whether it is about coffee or anything, I don't know how comfortable I feel as a citizen being protected."
The investigation also revealed that Garvin requested the complimentary coffee even when he was not on duty.
Garvin was hired by the department in 1993.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Foolish on both their parts.
Seems a pretty petty thing to ruin your career over.
Is there ANY chance he was joking?
“Man this extorted coffee tastes like pee “
Yup.
Maybe once it could be a joke, but not for two years.
It used to be cops on the beat grabbing an apple from a grocery store’s sidewalk display of produce, today it’s extorting free Starbucks coffee, tomorrow?
They’ll be expecting the coffee delivered to their homes before they have to get dressed for work.
And some people here wonder why so many people don’t trust “law enforcement officers”.
depends if the cops who worked for him liked him or not. they could be ecstatic and give the starbucks guy a medal. this boss does not sound like the best guy to work for.
That’s true.
To think that Starbucks was the only entity/person this guy extorted or bullied over the last 15 years is simply foolish.
Java Junkie
if i post a positive story about a cop, will it reverse the trend?
Remember in “Pope of Greenwich Village” when Paulie puts the horse physic in the bully cop’s drink?
HA-HA, WHAT AN IDIOT!
Got himself fired from a 90K a year (guessing) job over a lousy cup of coffee.
While in college, I had a senior seminar class in law enforcement. There was a ditzy girl in my class who could never grasp the concept of why it was wrong to accept free meals/coffee/etc. while on duty. She kept trying to compare the police to doctors and others that she said got “freebies.”
Of course, since she was a female, I’m sure she had no problem finding a job. God help those under her protection.
Law Enforcement - just minutes away when seconds count.
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