Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I have two questions, question number one I have never seen anybody in law enforcement with a beard are they not allowed to have a beard. Question number two over the years I have noticed a couple people on the side of the road getting the car or truck searched by law-enforcement I have always wondered, if they do not find anything that should not be there in the car ore truck, are law enforcement required to put everything back the way it was within reason. Or can they just walk away and leave the people to clean up the mess and pick up all ther stuff Ronnie

As for beards, I believe most agencies probably just don't allow them. I've known a couple officers with beards, so therefore I believe their agency allowed them, but that's the only one I have ever heard of. The ones in that agency that DON'T have beards probably just think they don't look so good in a beard, not to mention which beards can be a total pain in the rear to take care of and keep trimmed within standards and such - easier to just stay clean shaven.

As for searching a car, if I don't find anything that I can arrest for and I'm going to let the person go, I usually leave the stuff in their car as it is when I'm done searching. If I make a huge mess, I'll put it back as best I can within reason, but usually I don't ransack their car to badly if I'm searching anyway.

No, and no.

Just like the military , the beard logic is the fit of a gas mask. A gas mask won't fit with a beard in place.

I don't try to trash car during a search at all and will make a reasonable attempt to straighten things out but I don't do the Good Housekeeping version of it.

I have a goatee and have had it for years. I had a beard for a bit, but I prefer the goatee.

When I search a car (or a house, or an office) I try not to make too much of a mess, but it depends on the circumstances. Sometimes you have to. If I am searching a house for child porn I have to look everywhere that could conceal something as small as a micro-SD card. If I find one hidden someplace (such as under the wall to wall carpet) then all bets are off. The carpet is coming up in every room at that point and I'm not going to re-install it when I'm done.

My last agency allowed beards. Winter was a good time for one.

It depends on what you are seaching for and how hard you are looking
Normally when searching for booze on a car stop,
one doesnt need to drag everything out. Drugs, the search
may be a bit more in depth. Thats were drugs dogs are nice
Most people have fairly clean vehicles. Of course there are some
cars that havnt been cleaned since the owner bought it YECH