Tattoo ban for police officers

[Richie]

The head of the Metropolitan Police has banned officers and staff from getting visible tattoos because they "damage the professional image" of the force.
Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe also said employees must register details of any body art with line managers, or risk being thrown out of the force.
A Met statement said its policy on appearance would promote consistency.
Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation John Tully described the policy as a "little heavy handed".
The memo sent to officers and civilian staff on Monday made clear they must not get any more visible tattoos and declare all those they currently have within a month, or face a disciplinary hearing.
The Met's official statement said: "The standard of appearance required from serving police officers and staff has recently been reviewed to promote consistency."
It also said applicants wanting to join the police service were already to declare tattoos.
Mr Tully said it seemed rather a harsh policy and questioned the need to use misconduct procedures over tattoos.
"Clearly anything that is overtly offensive shouldn't be allowed but I think using the sledgehammer, which the commissioner seems to want to use for gross misconduct under our discipline procedures, for anyone who has these or doesn't declare them is a bit heavy handed."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19974694




I can understand where they're coming from but then again saying it portrays a 'thuggish' image is a little harsh. Feel sorry for some people who got a visible tattoo and wanted to join the police force in the future but now can't.




What are your views on this?

[Cerys]

I agree that some tattoos may portray a bad image onto the police, but the majority won't. Eg how would a little flower on your wrist or something make you seem 'thuggish'?

Ah thankgod I don't have any tattoos for if this ban sticks xP

[Matt]

I think the tattoo pictured below is one that shouldn't be allowed as in my opinion, portrays the wrong type of image for the police force. However, as mentioned by Cerys, i think a small tattoo that is either covered by clothes or very tiny is acceptable and shouldn't be an issue.

As for the "thuggish" remark. I think that was totally the wrong word to have been used and deters people from joining the police.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Absolutely the right measure and along with it I would put back in place the old height, weight and strength restrictions which we have abolished over the years purely for dogmatic politically correct reasons - ie, to allow more women into the force purely to meet quotas.

The job of the Police is to command respect and to be able to catch criminals whilst on foot (and thats another thing I would bring back, foot patrols) - a Police officer who is weak, overweight or too small is simply a ridiculous concept because like it or not, an average sized woman or a small man will not have the strength to overpower a suspect and nor will an overweight Police officer.

As for those opposed, no it's purely for professional reasons and most people do see it as thuggish (apart from teenagers whom naturally think they look good but realise otherwise when the reach the age of 30). The Police should be subject to restrains other professions have, for example it'd be unlikely that you would find a Bank Manager with a studded nose and a mohawk would it? same ought to apply here.

Fully behind this and quite amazed we've got some common sense left in the year 2012.

[xxMATTGxx]

I think this has been a rule at other Police forces for a while, not sure but that's what someone told me a while back.

[GoldenMerc]

Think this is silly, tattoos on hands yeh I agree, on arms no :/

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[Kardan]

Absolutely the right measure and along with it I would put back in place the old height, weight and strength restrictions which we have abolished over the years purely for dogmatic politically correct reasons - ie, to allow more women into the force purely to meet quotas.

The job of the Police is to command respect and to be able to catch criminals whilst on foot (and thats another thing I would bring back, foot patrols) - a Police officer who is weak, overweight or too small is simply a ridiculous concept because like it or not, an average sized woman or a small man will not have the strength to overpower a suspect and nor will an overweight Police officer.

As for those opposed, no it's purely for professional reasons and most people do see it as thuggish (apart from teenagers whom naturally think they look good but realise otherwise when the reach the age of 30). The Police should be subject to restrains other professions have, for example it'd be unlikely that you would find a Bank Manager with a studded nose and a mohawk would it? same ought to apply here.

Fully behind this and quite amazed we've got some common sense left in the year 2012.

I think this is one of the rare occasions where I agree with you Tattoos do give off a bad vibe - and the restrictions that you mentioned I would also agree with if they were brought back, assuming that they were for the police officers actually out on the street and not across all departments.

[GommeInc]

I always thought the thuggish image came from films? Most of the people I know with huge, visible tattoos are lovely and a tiny bit eccentric in a butch, manly way.

I sort of see their point as it can come off as intimidating, but surely it depends on the type of tattoo and size? A lot of good officers out there may be targetted for their tattoos despite these intimidation fears being purely superficial. Language and physical body shape are more than likely to counter-out these claims that tattoos are intimidating. If an officer has a huge tattoo up his or her arm, but speaks in a calm, friendly way and is of a reasonably thin/average body build, then will they be intimidating?

I usually step back when I see a policeman at the door regardless of their appearance, their uniform usually spooks me when I least suspect it

Part of me thinks this is one of those concerns no-one would of cared about, but because a news article has appeared suddenly opinions are being formed that otherwise would never of existed.

[Absently]

I don't really think one visible tattoo on your arm should be banned, I agree if you have a whole arms length. One visible tattoo that could be medium size or whatever and says something like your kids names and something like their birth date is not exactly thugish or imagine like a heart signifying when you first fell in love - seems all quite innocent really. Of course, if it's completely overboard like skulls, tigers and naked women, that's not exactly professional so should be banned. No matter what a police man or woman looks like I'll always see them as an authority figure, with a million tattoos I think it would more so scream gangster

[blackops121]

There was once a police officer that was great, probably the best in the entire force's history. He had a massive track record of arrests with justification, he had stopped drug rings and human traffickers, he had saved multiple lifes single handedly in one of the biggest hostage rescue operations in the UK's history. If it wasn't for this one man's integrity, high morale standing and dedication he would never have became the saviour that he is. His record has got him a massive foot-hold into even a military standing if he so wishes, where he could possibly go on to save the f'ing world from WW3.

No jks, he didn't get in because he had his mothers name tattoo'd across his arm who died of cancer when he was 4.

In my opinion, this ban is absolutely pathetic.