Tattoos have become very popular in the law enforcement and military communities. Officers who get inked often choose a tattoo of something that has great meaning to them, such as family, their faith, or a close friend. View a few examples of tattoos. Photos courtesy of Steve Winterstein of Five-O Tattoo in Elburn, Ill.
Blue Ink: Police Tattoos
This officer's tattoo honors his family Asian heritage.
This custom tattoo depicts an eagle in front of an American flag shield.
This officer requested a Celtic knot band around her wrist. The blue was added to represent the thin blue line.
This SWAT operator asked for a tattoo depicting an eagle grasping an AR rifle, knife, and lightning bolt.
This officer's end-of-watch tattoo pays tribute to Maywood (Ill.) PD's Officer Tom Wood, who was fatally shot on Oct. 23, 2006 as he sat in his patrol car. The case remains unsolved.
This officer's tattoo, "Oceana," contains symbols for strength, courage, and protection.
Variations of the "blue knight" tattoo are popular with officers.
A pair of handcuffs intertwined with a vine and blue flowers graces this officer's arm just above the wrist.