Brea police officers are now allowed to display their tattoos while on duty as part of a pilot program aimed at improving retention and recruitment, as well as providing some relief from the heat.
The shift in the use of tattoos and body designs began when a younger generation of officers went to the administration to request change, according to Lt. Chris Haddad. The previous policy was for officers to conceal all tattoos and body designs, according to the department.
A video posted Thursday to the department's Instagram account shows Brea officers flaunting their tattooed arms as they conducted traffic stops, checked IDs and fist-bumped residents.
The policy is not limited to an aesthetic issue, though Haddad said “some of our officers have, frankly, some beautiful artwork.” The program is intended to make officers more comfortable in hot weather, incentivize recruitment and retention and “humanize” the badge, according to the Instagram post.
The change in skin art followed requests from a younger generation of Brea police officers.
(Brea Police Department)
Shifts can last more than 12 hours, Haddad said, and it can be uncomfortable for officers to wear long sleeves for that long, particularly during the hot summer months.
“If we can keep them comfortable, then that's something we should do,” he said.
The public response, he said, has been largely positive or neutral.
“Most people don’t notice or care,” he said.
The department posted a feedback form for the pilot program. Among the questions is: “Do you think allowing officers to display tattoos is a good idea from a culturally progressive and forward-thinking perspective?”
Haddad said people who like tattoos have approached officers and asked about them.
“It’s like a way to break the ice,” he said.
Tattoos must be approved by two members of the department's uniform committee and then by the uniform commander, Haddad said. Tattoos are not allowed on the face, neck or hands, and all tattoos must be covered at formal public events, such as court proceedings and funerals.
On social media, most people said they approved of the change and that tasteful tattoos do not interfere with officers' jobs.
“Tattoos should no longer be stigmatized. I have tattoos and I am very successful,” Brea resident Bryan Gutierrez, a senior vice president at Citizens Business Bank, wrote on Facebook. “For years I resisted wearing short sleeves in professional settings.”
Gutierrez, 45, said in a follow-up phone interview that he was happy his community was working to destigmatize tattoos, something he said was long overdue.
“It’s never defined me,” he said of his own half sleeve of tattoos, something his clients and coworkers don’t seem to mind. Ink is a personal preference, he said, not a reflection of work ethic or behavior.
“Officers should not be judged by the ink on their skin, but by their conduct and character. The vast majority of tattooed people are good, honest and hard-working,” he wrote on Facebook.
