Prague, Oct 13 (CTK) – Czech police officers are allowed to have a tattoo, but if they wear uniforms, it must not be visible, daily Lidove noviny (LN) writes yesterday, referring to the respective rules that Deputy Police President Martin Vondrasek has presented.
This issue was debated at a regular meeting of the police president and trade union representatives.
Vondrasek specified the clear rules of wearing a tattoo in the police corps. He says the plain clothes police may have a visible tattoo, while the tattoo of uniformed police must not be visible.
The ban on a visible tattoo has been included in the police president’s binding order for ten years. It applies to some body parts, such as face, shoulders, legs up to knees, neck and arms. If police officers have a tattoo there, they must have it removed, LN says.
However, Zdenek Drexler, head of the security forces trade union, says out that this problem can be solved by long sleeves or a bandage.
Apart from tattooing, the police command deals with piercing and other big decoration of officers, LN adds.
“Police in some units who serve in plain clothes were forced to cover the tattoo on their arms. I think this was an unnecessary bossing by their superiors, while they neglect the really important work,” Drexler told LN.
In July, the police trade unions carried out an extensive poll among police and their supporters in which 3857 respondents answered.
A total of 71.5 percent of them do not mind a tattooed plain clothes police, 6.6. percent are convinced that tattooing is at variance with the police work and 3.8 percent are appalled by it.
Moreover, 18.1 percent of the polled are of the view that a tattoo can help police in their work. If they work undercover, a tattoo can help them infiltrate criminal structures more easily.
The poll also shows that 75.9 percent of respondents do not mind uniformed police having a visible tattoo, while 12.3 percent say tattooing is not suitable for this profession and it appalls to 5.4 percent of respondents.
Trade unions point out that the police corps are losing high- quality officers due to strict conditions for their looks.
“At present, tattooing is so broadly spread and natural that it should not be an obstacle [to the police work],” Drexler said.
However, some people, primarily the elderly, might perceive a tattoo as a certain stigma, psychologist Jan Kulhanek said, adding that in the past, tattooing was connected mainly with criminals and sailors.
On the contrary, young people may consider a tattooed offier cool and this may increase their trust in the police, he admitted.
LN writes that some countries, such as France, have already tolerated tattooing of the police and soldiers.
