Chicago cop suspended, ordered to counseling after demanding free Starbucks coffee

Officer Barbara Nevers was suspended for more than 15 months after being found guilty of demanding free coffee at five different Starbucks stores. In some instances, she started yelling and showed her weapon after being denied free drinks. (Read the Chicago Sun-Times article)

> "She was vehement about getting the free pastries," says a Starbucks employee
 

Comments

[Nerfebarista]

this made me 'lol'.. I've never had a cop insist on getting freebies and it takes some nerve to flash your gun to get free stuff. I woulda probably charged extra for the threatening body language. And please, yell when you don't get what you want.. it always helps.

[grendelprime]

Welcome to Chicago

[Equalamongequals]

I had a sheriff do something kind of like this to me. Not violent, but still very confident I would not be charging him. It puts you in a very difficult position because nobody wants law enforcement to have any reason to not like your store.

[ex-sbuxmanager]

That's the Chicago way

[ex coffee wench]

i want a picture of the cop. i used to manage 2525 1/2 (clark & deming)and i worked at diversey in 96. i wonder if that was the blonde?

[kraftdinner]

Wow how did this cop manage to keep her job? Screw counseling, that behavior is unacceptable! How can we trust them to do the right thing when we need them?

[ex coffee wench]

welcome to chicago.. mayor daleys army...if your irish you got a job....they aren't the most honest police dept. in the country.

[GermaninSD]

Interesting. You show a weapon to get stuff without paying. Doesn't that qualify for much more than a suspension?

[Ken]

^ that is what I was thinking. If I showed a gun, to get something for free, I believe that would be called armed robbery, would it not?

[Barista Joe]

haha... I can picture it in my head...

Barista: Okay, doppio espresso. That comes to-

Cop: Woah Woah, hey there, pal. See this badge? Now how about you give me two free shots from your espresso bar before I have to give YOU two free shots from MY espresso bar? (gestures to sidearm)

Funny story. However, it's more common practice than you might think. For a while in our district, free drip coffees for police officers were so commonplace, that I had an argument with a new ASM. He said it was "policy" to give coffee for free, I said "show me." He could not.

Of course, we continued to do it, "as a courtesy." I do have a problem when people EXPECT whatever beverage they order to be on the house. I had a uniformed EMT that would come in and demand free coffee.I always charged him because of his arrogant behavior. I explained to him that if we make it habit to give "uniformed employees" free coffee our store wouldn't make money. We would then have to extend that same courtesy to physicians and nurses which make up a large percentage of our business.

[SPORK]

The cops at our store won't accept pastries or free coffee... makes me happy I don't live in Chicago (or America for that matter).

[coldincanada]

this same thing happened to me . we got into a habbit of giving uniformed service workers 30% off there orders. it was getting so bad that we would see them put on there jackets in the parking lot to get the discount. one day i forgot to give it to a officer and had no way of getting him the 30% so i said sorry but i forgot and that i couldnt fix it. so i made his drink. 3 days later i got pulled over by the same cop and he even said OH hi there. took my info went back to his truck and came back to my car with a starbucks cop in his hand and gave me the ticket with the worse smile ever. i told our dm and we cancled it right away. now when ever they come in they leave a big mess. destroy the cafe. drop there coffee cups on the floor and there garbage and crumbs. its not just a chicago thing its a horrible thing

[Melody]

@Cardnumber:
I just looked at that link you gave and there are a few inaccuracies in it. For example, I'm pretty sure that Starbucks Iced Coffee at their stores is made using Terazo (sp?) but then I've also heard of it being made with Italian Roast (maybe that's just the canned version?). In any event, you say it is the House Blend, which I don't think is right.

Also, on your website, to answer your question about the Venti sizes: The iced Venti cup has 24 ounces because the extra few ounces is designed to hold ice. The hot Venti cup is 20 ounces, which makes sense.

As for the cop in Chicago:
I go back to an important lesson in life: The difference between a request and a demand is the ability to hear "no" for an answer.

I mostly dislike law enforcement. Cops like this one in the article should NOT be cops. If she gets so worked up at a pastry, imagine her on the job performance. I HOPE (hope being the right verb there) that law enforcement have the skill to be able to really handle themselves and remain calm and thinking in the most stressful situations. I should stop ranting now before I get too carried away.

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP WEBMASTER]

Re the Cardnumber reference in Melody's above post -- I deleted that post because it had nothing to do with this topic.

[Dora]

Melody wrote: I go back to an important lesson in life: The difference between a request and a demand is the ability to hear "no" for an answer.

I just wanted to say that I really like that statement. I am going to use with with my kids and others I deal with.

Poor attitudes of entitlement are rampant. Employers who tolerate such public behavior are wrong - especially when the misuse of power and authority are used. Just because it happens often does not make it right.

[Decaf Drinker]

I read a blog written by a cop...that this woman knows someone higher up, and thats how she got the job in the first place. Didn't sound like from what I read that she's a popular cop, nor one any other police officer would want to have as a partner.

To me, what she did is not different than an armed robbery, and I think especially given that she's a law enforcement officer, she should have been fired.

[OHARE]

Its not just the police in Chicago. There used to be a city bus driver who would call ahead to let us know she was approaching, then stop her bus in front of the store, bybass any line in the store, and demand her complimentary city employee drink (with a short cup if steamed soy, please). She plainly told us that if she didn't get free drinks, she wouldn't stop the bus in front of our store.

A bit of an empty threat, but some civil sevants in Chicago have come to feel free crap is their birthright.

[CD]

Melody -

I've been following this web site for quite some time and admire your passion and enthusiasm for coffee, the Starbucks Experience and people in general.

I really like your life lesson posted above "The difference between a request and a demand is the ability to hear 'no' for an answer."

Thanks for making this site a better place.

CD

[Couldn't take it anymore]

Now if *$s could get the rest of the customers who demand something for nothing to cut it out, they could start making money again and stop laying people off!

[LR]

I was actually told by an officer that they really aren't supposed to take free things (beverages, food, etc). It's considered a kick-back. Of course, if the situation occurred, I'm certain a lot of cops take anything free offered to them.

In any case, this "officer of the law" should not be waving any sort of weapon at anyone. Not only could that be seen as robbery, but I'm pretty sure no one is supposed to be waving a concealed weapon in anyone's face...especially in a place of business.

[Gary Green]

Third World behavior but what do you expect after 25 years of Republican (or Clinton's Repub-lite) rule? That's what the USA is becoming.

Greed is good. Fascism is good. Vote Republican. Yay USA!

[Downstate K]

Gary, anyone who knows anything about Chicago would know which party holds (and has held) the power. It is really rather ignorant, in this case, to make straw-man claims against Republicans.

Do you really think a city of Chicago worker gets his or her sense of entitlement from Washington DC? Does it even stem from party enrollment at all? Very doubtful.

Anyone who expects freebies is an asshole, regardless of political affiliation. Neither political party has a monopoly on fascist behavior, or hubris.

[Right-Wing Barista]

we give our cops free coffee...and they deserve it, but they are always willing to pay and always tip. they are grateful and they show it...thankyou Roger's Park Police

Don't be pulling that b.s. at my store ,will kick your ass in! Your local Police are sworn in to Protect and Serve.
Chicago should have taken her badge away!

[Mysticboi]

We give cops, paramedics, and fire fighters 25% off. We're not suppose to tell them, and if they know, they have to act like they don't know. Its against the law to accept any gifts when they're working cuz its considered bribery. Theres this one time a security guard walked in a demanded the 25% discount because he was in uniform and was part of law enforcment...I was like what, security for the mall in our area? pssh. I sure pissed him off when I didn't give it to him. We have some high ranking officers pay the full price cuz they know about the discount and refuse to accept it...thats honesty for ya.