Met Police to end visible tattoo ban to lift London recruitment
Cressida Dick says force needs more young officers to fight violent crime
THE Metropolitan Police will allow new officers to have visible tattoos for the first time in a bid to boost recruitment, just six years after they were said to damage the image of the force.
The U-turn, designed to make the job more appealing to young people, is part of a drive for more than 2,000 new officers in the next year, to be employed in the fight against violent crime.
Speaking at the initiative’s launch yesterday, Cressida Dick, the Met Commissioner, said: “Many young people are ruling themselves out of joining us because of their tattoos.” She added that the new policy “brings the Met into line with other services...we
‘A huge number of people carry tattoos and we want to get the best of London in’
hope this will show we are a modern service. A huge number of young people carry tattoos and we want to get the best of London in.”
There is no nationwide police policy on tattoos, and there is variation across the country as to what is permissible.
In Essex, Sussex, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands, visible tattoos, such as on the neck or hands, are not a bar to joining, and are reviewed by staff on a caseby-case basis.
Other forces are not so lenient. In South Wales, Devon and Cornwall and South Yorkshire, no visible tattoos are allowed.
In Merseyside, the lines are somewhat blurred, where visible body art can be covered by long sleeve shirts, plasters, Tubigrip or camouflage make up where relevant and deemed appropriate by supervisors. Body art on the face or neck, however, is unacceptable.
Just six years ago, Sir Bernard Hogan-howe, the Met Commissioner at the time, said: “All visible tattoos damage the professional image of the Metropolitan Police.”
He added that tattoos on the face, neck and hands would not be permitted and all other tattoos such as those on the arms must be covered at all times.
In 2016, the Police Federation, which represents more than 120,000 officers, called for a rethink of the rules, but the power to hire based on appearance remained with the individual forces.
At the time, Victoria Martin, who led a Police Federation study, said: “Having a design inked on your body, even if it is clearly visible, has no bearing on someone’s ability to carry out their duty to serve the public and as our survey found in some cases it can act as a great icebreaker, a way of breaking down barriers, particularly with young people.”
During the latest financial year, around 10per cent of the 13,000 who applied to join the force were rejected because of tattoos.
The Met will now review candidates who have a visible tattoo on a case-by-case basis instead of automatically rejecting them.
They say tattoos form part of many cultures and have become increasingly common among young people.
The £1.25million recruitment drive was possible thanks to one-off funding from the mayor’s office and will include adverts on digital platforms including ITV Hub and Channel 4’s 4od.
The force is aiming to more than double the number of people who joined last year, to take its total strength to 30,750.
Part of their role will be to address the wave of violent crime that has beset the capital this year, with more than 100 homicides since January.