The Slippery Slope is an argument that asserts that one act of minor significance will lead to further acts of greater significance. In this instance, it is believed that law enforcement officers who accept discounts for food, coffee, or other small items, may in move on to greater acts of questionable ethics.

The problem with restaurants and establishments giving away free or discounted goods and services to police officers, is that they are in essence “bribing” police officers to offer greater protection and presence and that doing so may cause other businesses and neighborhoods to lose protection and the presence of law enforcement. Therefore many law enforcement agencies have adopted policies and regulations against this.

The fear is also, that police officers who give in to simple offers of free food, may move on to accept small bribes for overlooking a traffic incident. Those officers who accept small bribes may make the step up to asking for or expecting a bribe. An example of this would be an traffic officer willing to settle a citation for “half the fine”, by collecting and pocketing money on the spot. Each step down the slippery slope would be small, but might eventually lead a honest police officer into becoming a criminal.

APA Citation:
Smith, Nathan. M. (2006). Police Officers Accepting Gratuities.
Retrieved November 22, 2008, from http://www.computer-forensic-technician.com/wordpress/police-officers-accepting-gratuities/.