Tattos as a cop? and Military background?

[Slimyslipknot]

I have 2 tattoo's One on my Forarm that says "US Army"
And one on the BACK of my neck that is in Japanese. Would this DQ me from becoming a police officer?

I one day DREAM to be on the S.W.A.T team. its been a dream of mine sicne i was a kid. I joined the military cause i would do the same type of stuff (raiding buildings and such)

But would having a military background be enough for me to become a police officer or do i HAVE to have a college dagree?

[Citicop]

The military will help, but college certainly wouldn't hurt either.

Every department has different rules about tattoos. Some allow visible tattoos, and some do not.

Citicop.

[mcsap]

Do not get any more tatts that are visible while wearing a short sleeve shirt. ( until you get hired and know fully the dept's policy)

[bluelightzgrl]

Do not get any more tatts that are visible while wearing a short sleeve shirt. ( until you get hired and know fully the dept's policy)

^^What mcsap said.

I'm prior Army and have 6 tattoos; none are visible in the summer uniform. My buddy has 12, 1 is visible on the inside of his forearm. But our dept allows visible tatts on the arms (no neck or face; not sure about hands) as long as they are not racial and/or gang related -basically the same policy as the Army.

My suggestion is find out what the policy is of the department(s) you are planning on applying to. Go from there.

[Johninaustin]

I would suggest you stop the tattooing right now. There is a big push in LE against tats, (Professional appearance) we have several officers in long sleeve shirts for that reason. It will certainly be looked at in the hiring process.
Heck, even the fire dept does not want them anymore. :eek:

[jeffyc]

Like stated it depends on the agency/agencies around you. I am prior USMC and I have 4 (3 of which can be seen in short sleeves). As long as they are in good taste around here they dont mind.

[Roger Dat]

Our department is in the process of spelling out no visible tats in summer uniforms. People already on the job will be grandfathered in.

[DeltaV]

We have a policy against tattoos that are visible while wearing the short sleeve uniform shirt. We will hire someone with visible tattoos, but they must get them removed before their probationary period is over. If they fail to do this they are terminated.

[Slimyslipknot]

We have a policy against tattoos that are visible while wearing the short sleeve uniform shirt. We will hire someone with visible tattoos, but they must get them removed before their probationary period is over. If they fail to do this they are terminated.

Removed?... tattoo's are permanent. unless you want major scaring.

[bluelightzgrl]

Removed?... tattoo's are permanent. unless you want major scaring.

REMOVING TATTOOS
Tattoos can be removed by a dermasurgeon on an outpatient basis with local anesthesia. The most common techniques used are:

Laser surgery
The surgeon removes the tattoo by selectively treating the pigment colors with a high-intensity laser beam. Lasers have become the standard treatment because they offer a "bloodless," low risk, highly effective approach with minimal side effects. The type of laser used generally depends upon the pigment colors. In many cases, multiple treatments may be required.

Dermabrasion
The surgeon "sands" the skin, removing the surface and middle layers of the tattoo. The combination of surgical and dressing techniques helps to raise and absorb the tattoo inks. View the dermabrasion fact sheet for more information.

Surgical excision
The surgeon removes the tattoo with a scalpel and closes the wound with stitches. This technique proves highly effective in removing some tattoos and allows the surgeon to excise inked areas with great control.

ARE THERE SIDE EFFECTS OR COMPLICATIONS?
Side effects are generally minor, but may include skin discoloration at the treatment site, infection of the tattoo site, lack of complete pigment removal, or some scarring. A raised or thickened scar may appear three to six months after the tattoo is removed.

From: AS DS

Kind of sounds like you go from a tatt to a branding... I'll keep my tatts. :cool:

[patchcop]

Kind of sounds like you go from a tatt to a branding... I'll keep my tatts. :cool:

And I'd like to see your tats, Blue