Whats your opinion on police officers wearing gold and beards?

personally i am very anti authority, i really dislike police (even thought i’m no criminal) and i personally would be in favor of police officers being allowed to look a little more casual. it would make them seem more human to me, and make me see them more like my self and less like an enemy.

i understand there is a need for police officers to be uniformed so that citizens can identify them. but in todays world, if the stick, cuffs, gun and car with flashing lights and a siren don’t clue you in, then you are probably not going to be any the wiser by the lack of a beard and jewelery.

EDIT:

and i understand something like a nose ring or something could pose a risk if some crack head decides he wants to pull on it, but its still your nose.

anything a citizen can do to decorate their body should also be allowed for cops. including green hair and what not. if its attached, its yours. the uniform and kit is enough.

EDIT2:

there are all kinds of people of all kinds of ages with all kinds of decorations now days, i don’t think anyone would really see a tattoo or piercing as taboo in todays culture. so when you think about is, apart from tradition. there would really be nothing that shocking about a police officer pith some body art.

so with that in mind, when you think about it. we live in a world where the old people have always told the young what is supposed to be good and bad, how things used to be better in their day and all that stuff. so we get this kind of stereotype of good and bad going on. and when you see police officers with shiny shoes and talking different to normal people (restrictions) and all the other stuff, to me… it starts to build up this them and us kind of thing, we are better than you, we are official etc… and this really highlights just how hypocritical things can be at times. this then reinforces my negative beliefs and eventually contributes to my dislike of police officers.

it really does go quite deep i think, all be it such a small detail. it subconsciously tells me things like, its no longer us keeping our selves in check, the cop is no longer a member of the community, its this big ugly almost faceless corporation thing.

dunno, maybe im crazy, but i would be much more comfortable with police officers that look a little more casual.

i know for some people it would have the opposite effect, like my father. i can just imagine his reaction to a cop with a face tattoo or something. he would think the world had gone mad hehe. but after about a year it would calm down and become normal.

Beardism is just plain wrong, and it’s got to stop. ~

I pity the fool who doesn’t allow men to wear gold and beards
Especially cops!

Nuses wear their hair up, discreet uniforms and no big devil head rings. If you don’t want to adhere to a dress code, don’t go for the job. Nothing wrong with looking professional and not like Mr.T.

Is that why a lot of them have mustaches?

Maybe I’m just biased but, I think that wearing trinkets is quite unprofessional. To me, it would be like going to work as a cop in sweats. It just doesn’t feel right.
Also as @poisonedantidote, earrings (etc) can be a risk if somebody feels like tugging it out.
I’m also against dyed hair (alright, a natural or semi-natural color is fine. I’m talking about purple hair here), and visible tattoos.

For some reason, I don’t find facial hair unprofessional at all. I think that should be allowed. (edit: Okay, to a certain extent. If the guy has a ZZ Top kind of beard, that’s excessive. But a ‘stache, or a goatee, I think that’s fine)

Fave has a point and i agree. good answer.

I’d like to see some personalization among police officers. It would make them less scary.
like cops or not, they are very intimidating.

I think they should adhere to professional attire (visible piercings, hair color etc) but a close-trimmed beard is fine. I don’t think wearing jewelry would be safe. You don’t want to give those crims a weapon against you.

I don’t agree with @faye because nurses do this for hygienic reasons—not to “look professional”.

@john65pennington is silver ok then?

Athletes can’t wear jewelery while they’re playing, as was said above, doctors and nurses don’t wear it for hygienic reasons, mechanics because it can get caught and cause injury. There are many jobs which don’t allow jewelery. I don’t think it is a problem that police are not allowed to wear it while on duty. Facial hair is something for a criminal to grab ahold of. I think it is another one of those cases where if you don’t like the rules of the job, don’t take the job.

Beards, sure why not? I know a few babyfaced cops whose chinless necks would only look more professional if graced by facial hair. Gold – depends on what we’re talking about. Watches and under-the-shirt saint charms, sure. Earrings and bling? Nah. That would just make cops more rediculous.

I don’t have a problem with anyone, no matter what their profession, wearing what makes them look and feel good about him/herself, as long as it is tasteful and understated. I think this applies to any profession——a mechanic who wears a huge beard and heavy “gold” chains and earrings looks positively abhorring to me, and even more so if it were a lawyer doing that. Taste and simplicity, those are the hallmarks of elegance, and a police officer who wears a nicely trimmed sparse beard and a nice gold ring (even with a few small diamonds) or a simple plain gold necklace tells me that he has good taste, not poor taste. Just because we are placed into certain roles in society, some more rigid than others, should not preclude us from expressing a little of ourselves. Police officers wear “uniforms” because they make them look “uniform”—-a little simple jewelry doesn’t hurt that image.

Personally, I have a bigger problem with teachers who go to school wearing sweats, sneakers, and t-shirts! I see that so often these days! In trying to “loosen up” with their pupils, they actually look like slobs. I think THAT is very unprofessional. Comfort has its limits. Self-dignity is important. There is really no excuse for laziness when it comes to your appearance in a professional job. :(

@wildpotato Edit: rediculous ridiculous! Aargh!

Say what? Best leave that granola crunching, hippy look back on the commune.

Beards and gold? Before you know it all the cops are going to start looking like this guy!

Braaaaa….

If you want to wear bling and facial hair be undercover or in narcotics. I know some people would still missidentify police if not for all the pomp and circumstance of uniforms and clean features, lights guns batom not withstanding. If the officer is so inept at communication that he cannot be recongnized as a good guy, even friend, he should not be on the force. And to make another side note, he’s not there to make you feel comfortable, if anyone hasn’t guessed by the gun, cuffs and bullet proof jacket.

@StupidGirl What does a discreet uniform have to do with hygiene? We are encouraged not to wear hoop style earrings in case a patient might decide to pull them out. THat is what may be behind the no beard idea. Male nurses can have short beards.

I never understood those stupid rules, myself. It just makes then seem more, I dong know, unapproachable. But then again, maybe that’s their goal.