In Phoenix, Arizona, there is an officer who carries a bolt of lighting with him along with hus firearm and cuffs when he is working. One of his fellow police officers carries something similar - a strand of barb wire. And there is an another office who has a scorpion with him at all times. These officers have tattoos and other body art.It appears that many police departments like the one in Phoenix has adopted a tattoo restriction rule in order to limit their appearance During the summer, where temperatures reach above 100 degrees daily, is making this rule seem a bit extreme when it could affect the safety and performance of the officers working. It is unknown how many officers of the deparment actually have tattoos or body piercings. It is widely supported by department officials due to the fact the public still views individuals who wear tattoos are likely to break the law rather than enforce the law.
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Our culture forgets that behind the uniform are men and women who want to make their own personal expression having nothing to do with breaking laws.If you went to the nearby outdoor concert of a famous national tour, you could easily see that most of the music listeners donned some sort of tattoo everywhere from head to feet and all in between. Of course you could see personal expression at its peak at the tattoo expo that was held in Mesa last may where people of all ages and professions showed off their tattoos.As the new rule takes affect at the end of August, officers with tattoos that show larger than a typical index card must find a way to cover them up if they are working. And that was for the arms, due to the fact any tattoos located on the neck, face and hands cannot be visible at all. The new regulations go on to outline that there can be no tattoos that offend such as swear language, religious putdowns, and racial groups to name a few.
According to regulatons, personnel files of the officers must include images all visible tattoos so that they can be reviewed by the department heads.Some officers who have large unusual piercings are also being reviewed in order to keep a standard level appearance to the public.There was a recruit that was going through training who accidentally showed off a tattoo that displayed racist background. Soon after the questioning of the tattoo, the recruit dropped out of training.Many are now left to wonder what to do with officers who have tattoos and do not want to have them removed. The visible tattoos can be covered up by wearing long sleeves, gloves, and bandages which is recommended by the department. Or adorned officers might transfer to an undercover assignment, for which the rules, at least when it comes to jewelry, tattoos and piercings, are considerably looser.Looking at how far we have come, there is still a long way to go to change the perception of tattoos and other forms of body art. We continue to progress and at some point our culture will see tattoos as art and not a sign of trouble or rebellion.