A pair of NYPD officers were denied service at a Brooklyn Dunkin’ Donuts by a clerk who said, “I don’t serve cops” — and the head of the detectives union is leading a boycott of the chain, The Post has learned.
Detectives’ Endowment Association President Michael Palladino said Thursday that the blatant discrimination was “disgraceful and it should not go unattended.”
“I assume it is an isolated incident. Nevertheless, Dunkin’ Donuts corporate should issue an apology to the NYPD and until that happens, I have asked detectives and their families to refrain from patronizing the stores,” he said.
Palladino also took a thinly veiled swipe at Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city officials in apportioning blame for the Sunday afternoon incident at 1993 Atlantic Ave.
“Political leaders in this city have encouraged this type of behavior by constantly demonizing cops and pushing their decriminalization agenda,” he said.
“It’s time for the same politicians to step up, take some responsibility and condemn what occurred.”
Law-enforcement sources briefed on what happened told The Post that the two cops, who are plainclothes patrol officers assigned to the 73rd Precinct’s detective squad, entered the store shortly after noon to purchase some Baskin-Robbins.
After waiting in line behind a customer, the cops — who were wearing suit pants, shirts and ties, with their badges and pistols on their belts — approached the counter but were ignored by a clerk who instead asked a man standing behind them what he wanted, sources said.
The man gave the clerk his order, sources said, then added, “These two guys were in front of me.”
“Yeah, I know, but I don’t serve cops,” the clerk replied.
A manager at the store disputed that account, saying: “These two men in shirts and ties — who I later found out were police — must have never come to this Dunkin’ Donuts before, because instead of waiting in the line where you order, they waited at the counter where you pick up your order.”
“You can see on the security tape: they stand here for five minutes, while other customers were being served. One customer even ordered ice cream, and they must’ve not like that because they left the store,” he added.
The manager, who wouldn’t give his name, wouldn’t let The Post view the video.
He also said the store “started getting phone calls from people saying they were police, asking, ‘Why didn’t you serve these officers?'”
“And I kept trying to explain that we serve everyone, we have nothing but respect for the police, and that they were standing at the wrong counter. It was busy at the time, and we were busy serving customers,” he said.
A spokesperson for corporate parent Dunkin’ Brands didn’t immediately return a request for comment.