Why And When Did Cops Start Getting Associated With Donuts?
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Loading ...I’ve always heard the joke “bad cop, no donut” and no one asked could tell me when it started and why cops are so often refered to with the whole donut thing.
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Not sure if there is a history to it. I’m sure it’s because you often see us at places like Dunkin Donuts. Well if one thinks about it, Dunkin Donuts is a place to get coffee and is often the only place around open 24 hrs a day. Has anyone ever tried the coffee at a gas station at 2 or 3 in the morning ?? yuck !!!
Anyway, I’m 6′04 / 225 lbs, in shape (donuts or not), and able to catch ya when you run…..even if I had a donut in my mouth at the time 
I don’t take offense to the donut jokes….I like em and will sometimes have a couple with my coffee
Good questions, I am not really sure but my father was a cop and every Sunday morning he came home from work with 2 dozen donuts! LOL
Probably because they are out on the roads / streets all the time (24 hrs) and donut shops are one of the few urban 24 hr , easy to – go, snack & coffee places .
(whenever 24 hr donut shops sprang up)
Not exactly sure, but I’ve heard it may be from the Greensboro Massacre when Unionizers were shot upon by local KKK and all the police were ordered to go on break and turn their radios off. They all apparently met at a local diner that gave police free donuts. Two of the officers that were not in the area did not turn off their radios while they were at a different diner. These two officers arrived on the scene to find a gun battle between KKK members and protesters. The protesters were charged and arrested, the KKK members were charged but found not guilty by an all white male jury. This was at the end of the Red Scare when everyone was afraid of Communism, I believe in early to mid 70’s. Peace…
In the past there was very little emphasis placed on police officers being in good shape. Now just about every department has a fitness policy and most are in excellent shape. Many, myself included, drink a lot of coffee to stay awake at night and the only places they were open late and served fresh coffee were donut shops. People assumed they were just in there stuffing their face with donuts when actually they were enjoying a good cup of coffee.
I couldn’t say for sure but I do have a theory on it.
Cops have a lot of long or overnight shifts right? And when you work for a long time or overnight you generally get tired, so you get a coffee. Most coffee shops sell donuts too. While working long shifts you also get hungry so they probably buy donuts with their coffee. Since the uniform is so noticeable, people notice when they get donuts and coffee. There are probably many other people working long shifts buying coffee and donuts but they are not as noticeable.
The cops usually meet at the donut shop to swap cop stories and to talk about the bad guys. They drink coffee and scarf down doughnuts. A few years later, they all get big belly’s. Most of our older firemen and policemen couldnt run down the street without passinig out.
Like other false images, it started on television. I remember hearing cop and donut jokes back in the 1980s on television. One joke was a man was robbed and went up to people to help him. One suggest call a cop, the other said call the donut shop, you’ll find the cops there. In reality, however, cops did hang out in donut shops in the 1980s because those cops who worked the midnight to 8 a.m. shift had to drink coffee to stay awake so they went to the donut shop.
Probably because those who work the graveyard shift in the old days could only find donut shops open to dine.
Look around you. Don’t you see cops carrying coffee and donuts all the time?
I just love watching Chief Wiggam in The Simpsons. He is the perfect portrayal of the stereotype
It mostly came about in areas where donut shops were the only places open late at night where the officers could get a snack and some coffee to get awake. It was not unusual to see one or more police cars parked outside donut shops at night when there was not a whole lot going on.
Places to eat can be hard to find after hours. Donut shops offered a place to stop, get a hot cup of coffee, and a donut, snack or sandwich.
I don’t know when it started, but I’ve always assumed that the association had more to do with the coffee at the donut shops than the donuts. I’d drink alot of coffee too if I had to work 12 hour shifts and be totally alert at all times and ready to go!!
Come to think of it, the donuts probably help with that too…since they are packed with sugar, for that ultimate quick rush in three bites. Plus, I assume, donuts are an easy “on the go food” so they probably are simple for cops to eat.
I also figure that this association came from long before there were millions of McDonalds drive throughs, etc…and donut shops were the only “quick stops” around.