Grapevine, Texas police received a gift card worth $1,500 in pizza from a local business, Patriot Mobile, but apologized for accepting it after a social media outcry, reports The Dallas Morning News.
The suburban police department in Tarrant County thanked the self-described conservative Christian mobile phone service provider for the gift, on the department’s facebook page, on January 12.
“Sincere thanks to our friends at Patriot Mobile,” wrote the police. “We are blessed to have their support and encouragement. Today they presented us with a certificate to host a pizza party for our staff. We are grateful for the opportunity to have a fun and relaxing meal together as a team.”
However, the gift “…caused an outcry on social media, where people urged the department to return it,” The Dallas Morning News reported on January 16.
Patriot Mobile’s political action committee “has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote like-minded candidates in recent Tarrant County suburban school board races,” reports The Dallas Morning News.
Tarrant County, west of Dallas, is home to Fort Worth, Arlington, and the stadia where the Cowboys and the Texas Rangers play.
“All 11 candidates backed by Patriot Mobile won their races across four school districts: Grapevine-Colleyville, Southlake, Keller and Mansfield,” states The Dallas Morning News.
But two days after accepting the gift, the Grapevine police apologized for accepting the pizza, on the department’s facebook page:
“We do not question a donor’s beliefs, we simply express our gratitude,” wrote the department. “In this case, however, the donation brought out deep emotion. … Please know that our actions were not intended to create distrust, and we vow to do better moving forward. We are going to re-evaluate how we receive donations in the future…”
The Grapevine Police Department states they will re-gift the pizza donation, “[W]e are opting to donate the food to a true need. We want something positive to come from this experience. …”
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