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Newport News Police Department
ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL
ADM-235 – GIFTS & GRATUITIES
Amends/Supersedes: ADM-235 (09/11/2017) Date of Issue: 05/06/2024
I. GENERAL
The Newport News Police Department expects all employees to be cognizant of conflicts of interest. PAM-
1000 Standards of Conduct prohibits all city employees from accepting gratuities for performing assigned
duties. Section 2.2-3103 of the Code of Virginia prohibits an employee from accepting any money, loan, gift,
favor, service, or business or professional opportunity (all hereinafter referred to as gifts) that would
reasonably tend to influence that person in performing their official duties. All employees should be aware
that the public might view the acceptance of any free or discounted gift, good, or service negatively.
II. DEFINITIONS
A. Gratuity – the act of giving a person something voluntarily for performing a service.
B. Hospitality – food, drink, entertainment or notions provided to guests.
III. POLICY
A. Employees shall exercise good judgment regarding any gift that does not fall under the purview of §2.2-
3103 offered gratis and shall make every attempt to pay for any such item offered.
B. Acts of hospitality and appreciation by citizens and organizations are not considered gratuities. Possible
instances of hospitality may include, but are not limited to:
1. Neighborhood Watch meetings;
2. Coffee-With-A-Cop events;
3. Faith-based events;
4. Police Academy graduations;
5. Fraternal Order of Police "FTO Meet & Greet" events.
6. The act of honoring public servants/City employees for their commitment to the community through
a publicized and/or occasional event/sale or
7. Specific events showing appreciation, such as;
a. Public Servant Appreciation Sales (for Military, Police, Fire, etc. personnel);
b. First Responder Appreciation Days (held at museums, parks, restaurants, stores, etc.)
C. Employees shall not solicit from any person, business, organization or other entity any gift or discount
when the employee is on-duty, in uniform, or in any situation where it may be construed that such
solicitation is made based on the employee’s status as a police department employee, except as
authorized by the Chief of Police.
D. An on-duty employee may solicit gifts on behalf of a civic, police or other non-profit or tax exempt
organization only if such solicitation has been authorized as part of a specific job task (e.g., Torch Run,
golf charity tournaments, United Way, etc.).
E. An off-duty employee may solicit gifts for any civic, religious or other organization, provided that the
employee neither identifies themselves as a police department employee nor intimates that such gift
would benefit the police department.
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