DAYTONA BEACH -- The jokes about cops and donuts has not included coffee or tea, until a Daytona Beach cop got fired in July after allegations he was trying to use his influence as a police officer to get the piping-hot liquids from the Starbucks at the Ocean Walk Shoppes on Atlantic Avenue.
Lt. Major Garvin, a 15-year veteran was fired after an internal affairs report found he was intimidating Starbucks employees into giving him freebies often during his shifts on the beachside.
While cops routinely get free coffee from this particular shop as a courtesy, they don't get the "specialty" or fancy ones. But, according to the IA investigation, employees reported Garvin intimated police service could be slow to respond or faster, depending on satisfying his coffee needs.
"I think it’s sad," Daytona Beach Police Chief Michael Chitwood told FOX 35 TV. "First it makes us, in the policing profession look like a bunch of clowns for a free cup of coffee? He makes $80,000-$90,000 a year. Why?"
FOX 35 also quoted Chitwood as saying after Garvin was confronted with the allegations, he demanded a polygraph test and failed.
"I'm personally hurt by this," the chief told the Orlando TV station. "I trusted him, and I personally put him in charge. I skipped over other officers for his promotion."