LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. — Loudon County deputies might look a little different in the near future.
In a Facebook post, Loudon County Sheriff Tim Guider said he is allowing deputies to have facial hair and tattoos in hopes of bringing in more recruits, boosting morale and being more relatable to the community.
The post said Guider made several policy changes that relaxed rules to allow for tasteful visible tattoos and facial hair.
“For years I have held onto a more traditional approach when it came to tattoos and beards while in uniform,” Guider said in the post. “But as times change and we see more and more excellent candidates applying that have visible tattoos, I’m opening my mind up to the idea that tattoo’s [sic] often reflect military service, religious beliefs, family values and fallen heroes. Professionalism is reflected in the way our deputies respond to the community, the way they speak to those they’re assisting and the way that they carry themselves in uniform. Having tasteful tattoos and neatly kept beards do not keep our deputies from being the best that they can be. I’m proud to give our folks the freedom to express themselves in a tasteful manner.”
Before the policy changes, deputies were required to be clean-shaven at the beginning of each shift with the exception of a mustache, according to LCSO. Deputies who had tattoos visible from the elbow down were required to wear long-sleeve uniform shirts in order to hide their ink even in the summer.
Now, deputies will be allowed to keep a neatly trimmed beard and display tattoos on their arms, according to the post. Tattoos are not be permitted below the wrist or above the shoulder or chest area, such as the neck or head.
“When our deputies started getting memorial tattoos for Sergeant Chris Jenkins, I knew I couldn’t ask them to cover them up and that is a gift I wanted to give them before my term is up," Guider said.
