Outraged woman slams ‘highly unprofessional’ police officer for drinking coffee while on duty – but people think she’s at fault

A woman has sparked heated debate after she branded a police officer “very unprofessional” for drinking coffee while on duty.

Earlier this week, X user Becky Argyle, from Scotland, posted a photo of an officer sipping from a disposable cup at an event she attended.

She captioned the image: “I can’t be the only one who finds it highly unprofessional for a police officer to be drinking coffee on the street while working and supervising an event.”

The post has since been viewed more than five million times and prompted other users to defend the officer.

“Heaven forbid a police officer has a drink while they’re on duty,” someone said sarcastically.

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Another joked: ‘You’re right Becky. He should have had a donut with his coffee.”

Meanwhile, a third said: “Secret. But don’t tell anyone. I have been known to drink coffee while working. Occasionally two during a long day on call…’

“I prefer my bobbies to be dried out too, Becky,” a fourth joked. ‘Makes them thirstier for justice!’

One critic defended the officer, writing: “He was probably on his feet for six hours, with no breaks to sit down or even eat anything.

“When I am at demonstrations, I usually share sweets with police officers in my area because ultimately they keep me safe.

“Maybe you have a different opinion, I see the police as part of the community that deserves a hot drink every now and then on a cold, windy, rainy day.”

Although Becky’s post garnered hundreds of comments, the X user only responded to one comment.

In response to someone who speculated that the officer may have been drinking water, she wrote, “It was definitely coffee.”

The post has since been viewed more than five million times and prompted other users to defend the officer

West Midlands Police FederationThe police website states that officers are entitled to a refreshment break if they are on duty for more than five hours.

Last August, Waitrose started offering coffee to police officers on duty to deter thieves.

The initiative, called ‘thanks a latte’, will be available to both police officers and community support officers.

At John Lewis, free hot drinks and discounted food – including hot meals – are offered through the staff canteen.

Nicki Juniper, head of security at the John Lewis Partnership, hoped the police presence would make thieves think about shoplifting.

He said: ‘We already have good relationships with a number of local police forces but we want to see this reflected in all our stores.

‘Offering these benefits is a win-win situation; the police are already working incredibly hard, so they will have more opportunities to take a break, while also building even better relationships with our frontline teams.

‘Even just having a police car parked outside can make people wonder if there is shoplifting in our branches or if they are becoming aggressive towards our partners.

‘Retail crime is a national problem and demands a national solution: people need to wake up and smell the coffee.’