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PLEASANT GROVE — What do you think? Are bearded-officers less approachable? Is professionalism more than facial hair?
In a Facebook post Friday, Pleasant Grove Police Captain Smith requested the public’s input on whether or not the department should change a decades-old policy that prohibits officers from growing facial hair beyond a “small mustache.”
The policy was put into place “in an effort to create a professional and approachable police force.” Beards were considered unprofessional, and risked making officers less approachable to the general public, Smith said.
“It is the mission of our department to provide this great community with exceptional police services, but more than that, we want our community to feel as though the officers that serve the community are approachable,” Smith said.
But because style trends and opinions change, (hello, newfound beard-lovers 👋🏼), the current facial hair policy is under review by the department’s chief of police.
Officers hoping to sport a beard or goatee have been requesting a policy change “for years,” according to Smith.
In the past, the department was flexible with the facial hair policy for charity events such as Sub for Santa, and even received “more compliments than complaints about the extra hair on our officers’ faces,” Smith said.
A policy change would allow officers to wear “well-trimmed and neatly manicured” beards and goatees, but first, officials want to make sure the public is OK with that.
“We do not want to compromise our professionalism or to become less approachable to the public as a result,” Smith said in the Facebook post. “Our relationship with our community is paramount and so we need your insight.”
The post ends with Smith posing the following question:
“Should the chief of police adjust the facial hair policy to include a well-trimmed and neatly manicured beard or goatee? Or should we keep our policy the way it has been for decades?”
The post also included before and after photos of a police sergeant who “graciously agreed” to demonstrate the beard vs. no beard look to help the public decide.
By Saturday evening, the post had garnered more than 4,300 comments, both from those in favor of the current facial policy and those open to changing it.
“Keep it!!! They look softer and less aggressive,” — Tyler Scott Nash “A well-kept beard is fine” — Janis Blair “Allow the beard!” — Scott Lofland “No beard if in the public, detectives don’t matter,” — Teresa Hensley Grubb “Let them grow beards. I think it would be great. Times change.” — Betty J Baxter
Let Pleasant Grove police know your take by leaving a comment on their Facebook post.
