DPD Issues APB on Tats
Seeking a more professional image, the Dallas police are requiring officers to cover any tattoos
Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009 | Updated 8:15 AM CDT
OK. This is a poorly done fake ... but you get the idea of what the Dallas Police Department doesn't want you to see when getting a ticket.
Dallas police officers with tattoos will need to cover them with clothing or perhaps even makeup.
Lt. Andrew Harvey said a lot of officers have tattoos, but the department wants officers "to display a more professional image."
The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday that the official policy is being drawn up by the department's personnel division and could take effect by the end of summer.
Current rules say police personnel must "present a neutral and uniform image to effectively relate to all segments of the population they serve."
Individual commanders had the responsibility of deciding whether an officer needed to cover tattoos.
A number of others cities, including Houston, Arlington and Los Angeles, require officers to cover tattoos, Harvey said.
