Officers Find That It Pays to Have a Friend

William Cowling II loves law enforcement so much that he volunteered 12 years as a reserve sheriff’s deputy, worked six years as a San Diego police officer and even made a personal loan to former Sheriff John Duffy to help pay off a legal bill.

But as president of Dixieline Lumber Home Centers, with 10 locations in San Diego County, he’s been in a position to do even more for the profession he holds dear.

For the past 20 years or so, he has made available to any member of a law enforcement agency--firefighters, police officers, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers, anyone with a badge or an identification card--a 10% discount on any purchase.

And even though just about every agency in San Diego County has a policy that expressly prohibits the acceptance of gratuities or discounts, Dixieline store managers report a fairly brisk business from law enforcement personnel.

“We don’t monitor it, but I’d say I probably see one (officer) or firefighter a week and I’m one of eight or nine salesmen,” said Steve Miller, a supervisor at Dixieline’s Kearny Mesa store. “I’d say we get six or seven a week” using the discount.

“Yes, we see officers from National City and Chula Vista and firefighters from both cities,” said Johnny Gray, a retail sales manager who works at the South Bay store. “I’d say we get more firefighters than anything else.”

Cowling makes no apologies for his policy and doesn’t much care which departments approve.

“These are not the highest paid guys in the world and if we can contribute to make their monthly bills balance, that’s fine because it comes from the heart,” he said. “We’ll continue to do it, even if anyone objects.”

So enamored with police work was Cowling that he graduated from the San Diego Police Department’s academy in 1979 and worked the second shift--2:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.--in various patrols while he spent mornings in the Dixieline business office.

Over the years, Cowling has been generous with contributions to the sheriff’s and San Diego police departments.

In 1980, he spent $78,000 for a Cessna 210 airplane for the San Diego Police Department and $95,000 to buy and equip a motor home for the Sheriff’s Department SWAT unit and $13,000 for a steel bomb disposal trailer.

His largess has not been limited to the agencies themselves. In 1988, he and two other supporters of then-Sheriff John Duffy loaned Duffy and Lt. John Tenwolde $36,000 to cover legal costs for both men in a 1986 lawsuit. The loan has never been repaid.

The three supporters, members of Duffy’s honorary deputy organization, said they were forced to sue Duffy and Tenwolde for the money because their signatures appear on a promissory note even though the three believe the county should repay the money.

At Dixieline Lumber, senior citizens and contractors also receive 10% off all purchases, excluding items already discounted.

But most police agencies do not permit any type of discount or gratuity. In August, San Diego Police Chief Bob Burgreen placed several restaurants off-limits to his officers when he learned they had been given free or discounted food and drink.

By September, the eateries were determined to be acceptable because their managers agreed to offer only full-price meals.

Told Tuesday of Dixieline’s policy, Assistant Police Chief Dave Worden said Burgreen had never heard of a discount being offered at the stores but instructed that the department’s inspection control division investigate the policy.

“Our officers don’t hold themselves in an official capacity and get discounts like that,” Worden said. “We pay the going rate.”

Engineer Dan Goedel of the San Diego Fire Department said city firefighters cannot accept anything free, except maybe homemade cookies from an appreciative citizen.

San Diego Sheriff’s Sgt. Glenn Revell said his agency has a similar, longstanding policy, and that nobody that he knows of has violated it.

Officials pointed out that members of law enforcement unions such as the San Diego Police Officers Assn. or the California Assn. of Highway Patrolmen are afforded discounts, as are service organizations such as the Kiwanis or the Rotary Club.

But Cowling and store managers say they need see only a badge or police identification card to grant the discount.

One San Diego police officer, who asked not to be named, said he has taken advantage of the discount in years past to reduce a hefty home-improvement bill but does not pull out his ID card each time he makes a smaller purchase, such as a can of paint.

For one San Diego sheriff’s sergeant, it makes no difference whether there’s a discount or not.

“Heck, I can find everything I need cheaper at Home Depot anyway, even with the Dixieline discount,” he said.