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Sheriff orders ink under wraps

There's a new sheriff in town, and he's cleaning up the agency's look. That means no visible tattoos.

By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER
Published March 29, 2005

TAMPA - Having already sent the message that smoking is out and fitness is in, Hillsborough Sheriff David Gee has added tasteless tattoos and excessive body piercing to his list of deputy no-nos.

Pierced eyebrows and body art might be trendy in the civilian world, but Gee wants cleaner standards for his uniformed employees.

"I don't want their tattoos to be shinier than the star on their chest, you know?" Gee said. "I said we were going to improve the overall look of the agency, and that's what we're doing."

The department's new policy for physical appearance and grooming states that patrol deputies, detention deputies and community service officers cannot get new tattoos that would be visible when they wear their uniforms.

Those who already have tattoos must cover them with long-sleeved shirts and pants - even in the sticky heat of summer - if supervisors deem the tattoos "racist, sexist, offensive, obscene or excessive," according to the policy, which took effect March 22.

"We would hope that none of our detectives have anything like that in the first place," Gee said.

Tattoos that promote or support gang activity, that "detract from the mission of law enforcement," or that cover more than half of an extremity also must be covered.

"If it's not something that could be a picture on your desk," Gee said, "you can't have it on your arm."

Tattoos on the face, head or neck also are banned. (Exceptions will be made for undercover detectives if tattoos lend credibility to their cover.)

Gee said most current deputies would not be affected by the new policy because their tattoos aren't visible or offensive. But uniformed personnel with acceptable tattoos that are in visible locations such as the forearm or hand will be grandfathered in.

"This is more of a proactive step intended for new hires," Gee said. "I'm letting prospective employees know our stance on tattoos. Unless it's a tattoo that can be easily covered up, you won't get hired."

The appearance policy also forbids male deputies from wearing earrings or visible body piercings. Female deputies can have earrings in only the lower lobes, not in the upper cartilage, and definitely not in a more daring spot like the lip or the nose.

Gee, who has no tattoos or piercings, says the guidelines for deputies' appearance are part of his ongoing efforts to raise the department's standards and public image.

In office just a few months, he already has increased education requirements for deputies. Last month he unveiled a sleek new design for patrol cars. Gee even updated the patch deputies wear on their uniforms.

The crackdown on tattoos is part of an amended physical appearance policy that includes a smoking ban for sheriff's deputies and other personnel while on duty.

Gee first announced his plans for the no-smoking policy in January. Not only do current employees have to toss their Marlboros while working, but Gee said new hires must be tobacco-free for six months prior to their employment with the Sheriff's Office.

"We figure if they haven't been smoking for that long, they won't start," Gee said.

The smoking ban is one aspect of a new wellness program for the department's 3,000 employees. Gee, trying to lower workers' compensation costs, wants them to eat well and exercise.

"I think after a few years, when all of these changes become a standard part of the culture, they will really be a nonissue," Gee said.

* * *

The Hillsborough Sheriff's Office isn't the first Tampa Bay agency to express its aversion to heavily tattooed law officers.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has a similar policy that went into effect Nov. 12.

Any uniformed personnel with tattoos visible below the bottom of the sleeve of a short-sleeved uniform shirt must cover up with a long-sleeved uniform if the bureau commander determines the tattoo is "offensive to others or distracting to the uniform," according to the policy.

Pinellas deputies have to wear their long-sleeved shirts "at all times while on duty, regardless of rank or the time of year," according to the policy.

Agency spokesman Mac McMullen said the department has no policy concerning the hiring of tattooed deputies, but anyone hired would fall under the same rules for covering offensive or distracting tattoos.

George Kajtsa, spokesman for the St. Petersburg Police Department, said there was "heated discussion" several years ago about creating a tattoo policy. "But we never got past the discussion stage."

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office does not have a policy on tattoos, said spokesman Doug Tobin.

The Tampa Police Department implemented a ban on visible tattoos in 2002, said spokesman Joe Durkin.

"If you have a tattoo that's visible, then don't apply," Durkin said. "And if you're an existing employee, you can't go out and get, like, a teardrop tattooed under your eye."

The Times called various Hillsborough Sheriff's Offices and substations to find out what deputies think of the new policy. The common refrain: Well, somebody here must have tattoos. But not that we can see.

It seems many deputies have tattoos in the most common places: shoulders, backs, chests, biceps. But those aren't visible even when they wear the short-sleeved uniform shirts.

On the local law enforcement Internet chat site Leoaffairs.com, Hillsborough deputies vowed to keep getting tattoos in all those inconspicuous places.

That's fine with the sheriff.

"We're not saying you can't get tattoos," Gee said. "You just can't get them on the 10 percent of your body that's visible when you're in uniform. You've still got 90 percent of your body to tattoo."

--Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler can be reached at 813 226-3373 or svansickler@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 29, 2005, 01:30:12]