Today is National Doughnut Day a.k.a Christmas if you’re a police officer. Over the year doughnuts have been so closely associated with cops that it’s become a trope.
Everything from movies, the public and some times even police themselves propagate it. However behind every stereotype, there’s usually an ounce of truth. So we set out to seek how this one came about.
The love goes way back
Michael Krondl, author of “The Donut: History, Recipes and Lore” confirmed that “It’s not an urban legend.” The cops-doughnut love affair began well before the 1950s.
At the time, cops working the graveyard shift didn’t have much choice when they wanted to take a break.The choices were between the all-night diners that took forever serving food or the doughnut shops.
They opened early to get ready for the morning crowd and a cop could walk in, get a coffee (staying awake is important in fighting crime) and a doughnut to wash off the aftertaste.
However Krondl says there was one more draw “A lot of times, young women were working behind the counter.”
Turning punchlines into headlines
Which brings us to today. Officers have more choices and some may be way more health conscious. So, understandably, some are bothered by the stereotype.
However others have embraced it. In Illinois, officers climb rooftops at Dunkin Donuts every year to raise money for Special Olympics and when weed became legal in Portland, Oregon, police issued a tongue-in-cheek visual aid to show how much is legally acceptable to carry. They shaped the weed into doughnuts.
So if you run into an officer today, don’t be afraid to share the Doughnut Day love and offer them a warm, sugary glazed one. Especially if they’re writing you a ticket.
