Can a police officer's integrity be compromised for the price of a cup of coffee or a hamburger?

Some say yes, some say no.

Under Idaho's Ethics in Government Law, public servants are prohibited from accepting most gifts or services from those they serve.

There are, however, some exemptions, including one for "trivial benefits not to exceed a value of $50 incidental to personal, professional or business contacts and involving no substantial risk of undermining official impartiality."

Kootenai County's largest law enforcement agencies approach this in similar yet different ways.

"I feel it's important that law enforcement officers, and any member of a law enforcement agency, resist the temptation of accepting any discount based on their position," said Post Falls Police Chief Scot Haug. "When you accept gratuities it has the potential to leave the wrong perception with the public, and if law enforcement officers do accept gratuities, what is reasonable?"

Haug's department has a policy prohibiting all employees from personally accepting any gratuity when it's offered based on their position with the department.

Haug said it can start with a cup of coffee but progress to further discounts like car deals or real estate transactions.

"We had an (real estate) agent recently offer 25 percent of the closing (costs) to officers, which could add up to hundreds of dollars in gratuities because of their position," Haug said.

Dusty Rhoads, of Coeur d'Alene, raised the question in a recently published letter to the editor of The Press about badge-based freebies and discounts.

Rhoads said he believes an officer's acceptance of any gift compromises the officer's integrity and the community's trust.

Rhoads penned his letter after obtaining a receipt from a transaction he believes is from a meal an officer had at a chain restaurant near Riverstone. Rhoads said his neighbor witnessed the receipt fall out of a police cruiser as an officer entered it. Rhoads said the neighbor picked up the receipt - which discounted 50 percent of the officer's meal - and gave it to Rhoads after the officer drove away. The discounted amount was about $5.50.

Rhoads, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 26 years and with the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office for 13 years, said he was bothered by the idea of an officer accepting a discount. Rhoads promptly contacted Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White.

"I was able to speak with a patrolman," Rhoads said. "All he could tell me was that they (officers) could accept $50 worth of free stuff."

Coeur d'Alene Police Sgt. Christie Wood told The Press that although state law does provide for an officer to accept a gift, her department asks officers to leave large tips to make up the difference.

"Our expectation is Coeur d'Alene Police officers will act in a professional manner at all times," Wood said. "If there is ever any concern or question of impropriety we encourage our citizens to contact the police department and speak to a supervisor."

KCSO Lt. Stu Miller said his agency's policy states that a member of the department shall not solicit, seek or ask for a gratuity individually or collectively. Anyone receiving an unsolicited gift or reward that may be reasonably inferred to be connected with their official position shall report it to the sheriff who shall determine its appropriate disposition.

"I took a burglary report at a house and later found the burglar...While talking to the victim, we got to talking about our pets," Miller said. "She later sent me a gift certificate for my family dog to be pampered at a local dog spa."

There was not an opportunity for Miller to deny the gift, so it was reported to his superior rather than rejected.

"After reporting it to my supervisor, I gave it to an animal shelter for a worthy pup," Miller said.

Many businesses nationwide have policies on discounts for law enforcement. Many will give the discount if the officer is in uniform, without even asking.

Miller said there are times simply denying the discount doesn't fix the situation. He said when an officer refuses a discount or a free cup of coffee that had already been deducted from a bill, or the business refuses to charge, his officers will pay the extra amount as a tip.

Wood said it's important to avoid offending a business offering a discount to officers.

"Our chief and command staff encourage officers to leave a large tip... thank the business for their generosity rather than insult them for their kindness," Wood said.

She said officers experience this type of giving most often during the holiday season, when officers have to be away from their families. Local restaurants ask officers to stop by so they can thank them, she said.

"Our ethics and integrity are what defines us," Wood said. "It is the determining factor of trust between a department and a community. We feel our policies and practices provide for the utmost integrity."