8 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: SEPTEMBER 2017 Secret admirer Considering the prices at Starbucks, that’s gotta be pretty sweet A re there people out there that hate cops? You bet there are. Are there people out there that love cops – even the ones they’ve never met and know nothing about? That’s also true. In Naperville, Illinois it would be easy to under- stand why Sgt. David Pas- trick approached the note left on his windshield with caution and trepidation. But it wasn’t hate mail – it was gift certificate to Starbucks from a grateful citizen. And this is the sec- ond time it’s happened. “The first was a couple of weeks ago in front of the Subway sandwich shop near Jefferson Avenue and Main Street,” Commander Lou Cammiso told report- ers from the Chicago Tri- bune. Sgt. David Pastrick was the recipient of the gifts on both occasions. He says he doesn’t think it’s a personal thing. The first time he got a note he was driving a car that said “sergeant” on the vehicle’s door. The second time he was in a standard cruiser. “So I guarantee you it is a coincidence,” Pastrick said. Pastrick has actually seen the mysterious gift-giver. He made eye contact with the guy (unclear which time) as the man was leav- ing the note on the wind- shield. “I thought, that’s really cool that somebody would do that” for a police officer, Pastrick said. “It was a nice gesture.” But Cammiso says that despite all the war on cops talk, local residents fre- quently go out of their way to support police with gifts, food and other stuff. “People are dropping things off at the police sta- tion all the time,” and are especially generous with food each May during Po- lice Week, Cammiso said. “Sometimes people will approach you on the street and offer you a gift card,” Cammiso continued. “I’ve been offered a $5 cash tip before, but I declined it.” Pastrick is allowed to keep and use his Starbucks gift certificates “because it’s under a certain dollar value,” Cammiso said. And for those concerned about slippery slopes – this ain’t one of them. “Bribery is when you agree to do something for somebody” and accept compensation for it, Cam- miso said. “But if there’s no expectation of reciprocity, then it’s not bribery. “We do a difficult job, one that does not always receive praise,” he said. “We strive to be a com- munity partner and we are thankful for each and every show of appreciation and support.”