I just got out of my first of three days of assessment center excercises. Today was the oral interview excercise. We were given five lengthy questions that had to do with issues about community policing and officers taking gratuities. One of the scenario questions involved a bar/restaurant owner who states that several officers used to come into his restaurant on duty to eat and that they would even come off duty to frequent the bar. The owner would give the officers a discount on their meals and drinks. Another bar/restaurant down the street opened recently and the officers stopped coming to his restarant on and off duty and started frequenting the other bar/restaurant. The owner is concerned that his bar/restarant is not getting the attention that it once did by the officers and he expresses his concern to you and asked how he could get the officers to come back to his establishment. What do you tell the owner? How do you handle it with the officers?
My answer was basicly that I would advise the owner that the officers are not to accept gratuities and if they did so, they were wrong (per department general orders). I also stated that I would advise the owner that I would advise the officers that they are not to accept gratuities per the general orders and that they could eventually fall down the "slippery slope" of corruption (I then gave a brief synopsis of the slippery slope theory). I then advised that if there were any more instances of officers accepting gratuities, I would take progressive discipline action and hold the officer accountable for their actions.
Then one of the assessors asked me if I would tell the officers about the owners concerns. I stated that I would because they are violating the general orders and that I would re instruct them about not accepting gratuities. I also stated that now the owner expects something in return from the officers for him not charging them full price for their meals/drinks and that it could lead the officers down the slippery slope.
My question is, what do you think she was getting at when she asked that question? Do you think I gave a proper response? Perhaps the "right answer" would be not to advise the officers about the owners statements to me? Feedback is welcomed
My answer was basicly that I would advise the owner that the officers are not to accept gratuities and if they did so, they were wrong (per department general orders). I also stated that I would advise the owner that I would advise the officers that they are not to accept gratuities per the general orders and that they could eventually fall down the "slippery slope" of corruption (I then gave a brief synopsis of the slippery slope theory). I then advised that if there were any more instances of officers accepting gratuities, I would take progressive discipline action and hold the officer accountable for their actions.
Then one of the assessors asked me if I would tell the officers about the owners concerns. I stated that I would because they are violating the general orders and that I would re instruct them about not accepting gratuities. I also stated that now the owner expects something in return from the officers for him not charging them full price for their meals/drinks and that it could lead the officers down the slippery slope.
My question is, what do you think she was getting at when she asked that question? Do you think I gave a proper response? Perhaps the "right answer" would be not to advise the officers about the owners statements to me? Feedback is welcomed

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