AUSTIN - The state has ordered its troopers to cover up any tattoos in a move intended to preserve the officers’ clean-cut image. Last week, the Texas Department of Public Safety began requiring the state’s almost 2,700 uniformed troopers to hide any visible tattoos or brandings while on duty.
While it’s tough to mount an argument against DPS’ new policy, I can’t help but wonder how far this public-input thing is going to go. And just how much of a threat to public decency is a tattoo? After all. a lot of DPS troopers are ex-military, and tattoos are to the military what poles are to strippers. Ultimately, then, doesn’t this policy really dishonor those who have served in our nation’s armed forces and indulged in some alcohol-fueled body art?
It’s also true that body art is more of a generational thing, so one might also reasonably wonder if this isn’t merely an exercise in generational prejudice directed at younger DPS troopers?
I understand that DPS wants it’s troops to present a clean-cut image to the taxpayers of Texas, and I think that’s largely a good thing. This isn’t the military, though, so shouldn’t a little bit of individual expression be acceptable? I’m not sure I have the answer to that question; I just think that proscribing tattoos is rather silly and can send the wrong message to DPS troopers. We need these folks to enforce the laws of Texas, not walk, talk, look, and act the same. Individualism is not necessarily a bad thing…even at DPS.
The HPD was considering similar regulations last year, but I'm not sure how it turned out. It's a shame that the DPS seems to think that people today will judge troopers on how they've colored their skin instead of their performance and professionalism.
It's just plain dumb to require anyone to wear long sleeves during Texas' brutal summers just to cover up a tatoo.
Tattoo's may not be as much of a generational thing as they seem. I was 44 when I got my first. The artist mentioned that more "older people" were getting body art than ever before. (Being called an "older person" hurt more than the tattoo did!)
Ok, I'm a crank. I'm old and I'm a jerk.
Keep the tats under wraps, if no other reason than so that I can tell the cop from the con.
Ok Sarah, I'm a crank, I'm "old" and (some say) a jerk too!
But I'm also quite pleased to have my daughters' names bannered around the big red heart on my shoulder. There's room left to add the names of their kids (when that happens...)
I'm sure that there's a "too" that would look good on you, but hey, if you're not inclined, no biggie... By the same token, why judge a book by its cover?