Bad practice when police take freebies

I want to files charges against an Elk Grove Village officer for theft.

I am very exact with what I am saying and saw. I witnessed the situation myself first hand - no misperception.

Today, Saturday 21 Nov. 2009 at 3 p.m. at (a doughnut shop) at Meacham and Biesterfield I saw an officer assigned to a beat deliberately take a free cup of coffee.

This may seem small to you and not important, however, you state very clearly it is against village policy to accept gratuities and with this situation documented and seen directly by me this officer broke village policy by not paying for a cup of coffee.

This problem with village police officers still accepting "Free Goods" from establishments in the village is an ongoing problem that continues to be ignored and is acceptable by the village management.

In conjunction it is a proven and well known fact that if a police officer accepts "Free Goods" from a particular establishment the owners and employees receive a free "Get Out Of Jail" card or as some people identify it, a "Pass" from a ticket.

I wonder how the rest of the village residents feel every time they receive a ticket from the village police officers - however, because they do not own a village business that offers free goods to police officers they have a court date and an expensive ticket to pay.

They are compensated very well considering the rising plight of unemployment increasing everyday!

Jeff Perlik

Schaumburg