We’re the long legs of the law
IN HOTPANTS and red berets, these scantily clad police officers have certainly caused a stir.
The all-female squad patrols the streets of Broummana in Lebanon and their uniforms – presumably to avoid any confusion – include a black T-shirt emblazoned with the word ‘Police’.
They were hired as auxiliary traffic officers by mayor Pierre Achkar, who hopes they will attract more tourists to the town, east of Beirut.
Their revealing outfits – and the fact that their male colleagues still have to
‘People like pretty’
wear trousers – has led to criticism of the move as sexist and outdated.
However, an unrepentant Mr Achkar said: ‘We want to change the bleak picture of Lebanon in the West. People like pretty. Everybody is happy. Ninetynine per cent of the tourists in the Mediterranean region wear shorts.’
Broummana, a popular resort in Lebanon, is 54% Muslim. One of the officers, Samata Saad, said: ‘We came willingly to this work and accepted it with enthusiasm.’
But one local woman said: ‘It is inappropriate for the girls, the police in general and for the government.’