Originally Posted by cscmc1

If I owned (or managed) a business like Starbucks, I'd certainly give free coffee to officers on-duty. It's a kind gesture, and it CAN build a good relationship and some goodwill to cash in when you might need it. That said, it's a little presumptuous for the officer in question to assume his drinks will always be free. If I were the cop, I'd assume I needed to pay, and be thankful and polite when/if the drinks are free.