Is it true that police officers are not allowed to drink alcohol?

Question

I have heard before that police officers are not allowed drink alcohol under any circumstances. Is this true?

Answer 1

BS! They drink (or smoke) the stuff that they confiscate!

Answer 2

That is not true at all.  Any alcohol while on duty is prohibited, obviously.  Also, anytime a significant event occurs, i.e. a shooting, squad accident, etc, then the officer must take an intoxilyzer test to prove that they are sober.

My agency states that we are not supposed to have any alcohol within 12 hours of arriving at work.

Other than that, police officers are just regular people with the same families, hobbies, and freedoms as everyone else.

Answer 3

No, they are only not allowed to drink when they are on duty or on call.

Answer 4

I will give you the best answer yet: I am a cop and I am drinking alcohol as I write...ahhhh...refreshing.

How about that!  

Now obviously, I cannot drink on duty, but off duty, I am more like you and everyone else than they care to know.  

Answer 5

Yes they can drink, except on duty!

Answer 6

I'm sure they are allowed to drink alcohol, as long as they aren't on call or on duty..

I really am not sure..

Answer 7

Where are you talking about? I don't know about today, but an officer changed from an agency in New York to one in Texas and surprised his training officer by ordering a beer with lunch on duty. Seems they can back home. And some years ago when I was hanging around a French National Police post, there was wine and beer in the cafeteria. Most U.S. agencies have a police of no alcohol on duty, no alcohol on call, and no public intoxication at any time. I once worked for a sheriff whose policy was that his deputies could not go off duty into any 51% establishment (more bar than restaurant) in the county.

Answer 8

As a matter of fact they aren't allowed to drink during working , because that may affect their activity , isn't that right ?

Answer 9

I am not a fan of cops....I wish they weren't allowed to drink....maybe they wouldn't be such meat heads......and I guarantee all the thumbs down i get are from cops and relatives of cops...that proves my point.....just read the paper any day of the week and there is some kind of scandal involving corrupt police....and there is nothing the normal person can do to defend ourselves, cause they stick together

Answer 10

Hey, it could be true somewhere. But nowhere that I know of.

Answer 11

No it is not true and cops can lie to you to.

Answer 12

they can drink if they're not on dutyyyyy

Answer 13

my cousin is a police officer... no it's not true.

only when on duty...

Answer 14

This is completely FALSE. It's not like consuming alcohol is illegal (over the age of 21, that is). If they are on duty, of course, they cannot drink alcohol. I also know a lot of officers, such as my uncle, who have drinks while off duty. Whoever told you that is absurd.

Answer 15

Only when on duty or on call if otherwise we would have a very smal lpolice force indeed

Answer 16

Police officers are allowed to drink alcohol when off duty.  However on duty they are not allowed.  There is legalisation which means it is an offence for a police officer to buy or attempt buy alcohol when on duty.

Answer 17

no

Answer 18

Only when on duty or on call. On call means they can be called to go to work at any given time, so they aren't officially off work when they are on call.

These same rules apply to firemen/firewomen, doctors, nurses, and pretty much anyone whose abilities to perform their job would be impaired by alcohol.

Answer 19

They cannot have alcohol while carrying their firearm.