Dusty Rhoads’ belief that a police officer’s “acceptance of any gifts compromises the officer’s integrity” is 100 percent correct.

When I was much younger (1970) I helped manage a “Sambo’s” restaurant in Boise. We gave free coffee to the police. Every day and every night we had the police with us. It cost us very little to do this (some may remember the 5 cent cup of coffee back then) and it benefited the restaurant greatly to have the police continually stop by and get a coffee; with the police in our 24-hour restaurant we were problem free, but inversely, that meant when the officers were with us they were not at other restaurants. Bad for them, good for us.

So where does integrity begin and end — just the police? Should not the restaurant give the same 50 percent discount to firemen? What about teachers? Does the Police Chief Lee White qualify? There are many other public servants who work hard and sacrifice; why shouldn’t they get the deal? Where does it end? What about politicians? OK, that may go too far.

So, where does it begin and end? The article states the law says $50. Wow, is that daily? Integrity defined by the Webster dictionary states “the condition of being free from damage or defect”. Enough said.

ALLAN M. GATHERCOAL

Coeur d’Alene