Should Police Officers Be Allowed To Sport Tattoos?

[sp1814]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/28/end-police-tattoo-ban-in-age-of-the-hipster-officers-urge2/

[Islay]

What does it matter if the policemen and women have tattoos?

What does it matter if they wear a headscarf or turban, what does it matter what colour or creed they are.

As long as they do their job and catch the criminals.

[woofgang]

I think they are in a particular position because a big part of their job is dealing with the members of the public at a time when they (the public not the police) are scared, vulnerable, maybe injured. This means that they have to be able to project a safe and reassuring image and I am not sure that, at present, facial tatts go along with this. In the future, or in a different culture, maybe they would....but right here and right now...no.

[New Judge]

“I think the other issue not mentioned here is that people get tatt’s before they have actually found their long term career.”

Then they should be a little more sensible. You cannot have tattoos inflicted on you before you are 18 and by then you should have enough sense to realise that it can jeopardise your future.

The Fed’s reasoning that because officers deal with people with tattoos they may be more receptive to officers with tattoos is daft. Police officers have to deal with many people who turn out to be criminals, so by their reasoning if the police officers were also criminals co-operation may be more forthcoming.

Police officers should present themselves in an appropriate manner and having “Love” and “Hate” embellished on their knuckles or a spider’s web across their face is not appropriate.

[agchristie]

Not forgetting that police officers have to sometimes give evidence in court.

(I know one female judge who threw a ball of tights at a female solicitor who dared to turn up in her chambers bare-legged).She really had a go at her.

[woofgang]

but should it jeopardise one’s future? and should judges be allowed to behave in that way?

[agchristie]

It's the risk one takes woofgang.Anybody getting a tattoo done should accept that it could not should affect their future career path especially as many people do have a career change.

Regarding the judges,they are a law unto themselves unless they are reported for saying the wrong thing!

[woofgang]

I don’t think anyone is above good manners and i think its quite a waste to refuse people who might excel at a job simply because they have a visible tattoo.

[ludwig]

Personally I think tattoos look *** awful in any context but as there aren't actually that many people left that haven't got one, I think they probably need to do this so they don't run out of recruits.

[dannyk13]

I and several other officers in my force had tattooed arms which were able to be seen when wearing shirt sleeve order.This never caused a problem.

[Peter Pedant]

db - stop spluttering !

all this is about visible tattoos innit ?

I remember in summer in my childhood, when the men rolled up their sleeves about half had tattoos....

we have had tattooed princes ( Prince Albert Victor and Prince George got matching tattoos in the navy

and a tattooed prime minister ( callaghan ) who signally ( ha! ) did not roll up his sleeves on his hols in Madagascar ( crisis what crisis - that one )

[Peter Pedant]

// You cannot have tattoos inflicted on you before you are 18 and by then you should have enough sense to realise that it can jeopardise your future. //

I think that is the Tattooing of Minors Act 1968
use of legislation to control an epidemic of Hepatitis B I recollect

and not because young people are too thick to make life changing choices ( like having a baby or joining the armed forces)