Freebies for deputies

Are there Favorite Places in Woodstock and throughout McHenry County for deputies and police officers? (I'm not talking about Bookmarks on your web browser.)

You know, those places (drive-through windows?) where a deputy can swing through in his squad car, in or out of uniform, and pick up a free coffee? Or pick up a free burger and fries? Or go inside for a free sit-down meal?

Those coffee places (even restaurants) will "comp" deputies.

In "olden" days when deputies were underpaid, the owners or managers might have thought they were helping out a cop who was there to help them out. A few might even thought about it more widely and thought the cops were really helping the whole town by being "out there". But now?

Deputies earn $70,-80,000/year (or more; maybe even $95,-100,000/year). Can't they afford their own coffee?

And what about department policies, often called General Orders? Often a department will have a policy that deputies are not to accept freebies.

The idea is that a deputy or cop won't be inclined to "give a break" to the restaurant or coffee shop's owner, manager or even employee, if he stops him (or her) for a traffic violation.

When I was a reserve deputy in Colorado, I knew where those places were. How did I find them? By riding with the full-time deputies. I remember more than one time when the deputy got his meal without paying, and I insisted on paying for mine. Sometimes it was awkward, like when the employee insisted that I not pay for my meal.

That didn't change anything. I explained that I intended to pay the full price for my meal, and I did. Every time.

What's the policy at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department? And how many times a day is it broken?