Recently, I was lecturing in a criminology class at a nearby university. After the class, a young man began to chat with me about his employment potential with law enforcement agencies. During our conversation I could not help noticing his body art or tattoos.

Today, more and more young men and women are getting inked. Conversely, there is a growing trend with many departments across this nation that have taken stances against visible tattoos on their uniformed officers. Now you know my dilemma with this conversation.

Pre-employment Decision

If you are seeking employment as a law enforcement officer and are considering a tattoo, stop and think. First of all, do some research and determine if the department(s) you desire to apply with have any tattoo regulations. They may not now, but a nationwide trend is emerging. I belong to IACP.net, which is a subscription service for police executives to share information and research. Just today I performed a policy search for tattoos and there are several model policies now nationwide. The phrase that keeps resurfacing is "no visible tattoos while in uniform."

Thinking back to my inquisitive student, he'd stood because of numerous tattoos on his forearms and neck. Many may say that you could just to wear long sleeves and a tie year round. Wrong! Most agencies have uniform policies that dictate when you will wear short or long sleeves, usually according to the seasons. One solution is purchasing arm sleeves that you match to your skin tone, kinda like a tattoo gauntlet. Word is they can be cumbersome, expensive, and great to meet your prospective in-laws in but not great to live in daily.

If you are pre-service, stop and think about your body art and self-expression desires. Are they needs or wants? Tattoos are still taboo in some segments of society. A few people still find them a turn-off. I know this personally. We still must recognize that police are human service providers and role models to society. Anything that visually states the opposite to some can set you back in their eyes.

So, do not jeopardize your opportunities for employment. Getting in the door can be hard enough as it is.

Life Decisions

Whether or not you go into traditional law enforcement you should think fully about obtaining body art. Get the job, then find out the game rules and the departmental culture. The current chief may not care, but a change in administration and you might be looked at with disdain. Another glaring consideration is to be sure that you are on the "PC path." You could easily get a design that may not mean anything to most but could be considered or misconstrued as politically incorrect. Perform your research and get a second opinion.

We are a society of individuals and that in itself makes life what it is. No one department could stand two Harveys (often one can be enough). Yes, you can express yourself with tattoos, but be aware of the consequences. And just because you observe a veteran officer wearing tattoos, this isn't your open invitation. A no-tattoo rule could be a conditional rule of employment now and the veterans might have been grandfathered in.

No, I am not anti-tattoo, I have some myself. Just fully understand the changing times and enjoy your future in law enforcement.

Train hard, train smart, and pass on the knowledge.