Victoria Police have introduced new tattoo regulations allowing officers to have tattoos on their hands and the back of their necks, in a move to increase recruitment.
Previously, officers were only permitted to have tattoos if they were discreet and could be covered while on duty. The policy change, introduced in March, has already led to 86 individuals who were previously rejected due to their tattoos renewing their applications for police positions.
A spokesperson for Victoria Police told 9news.com.au, “Public sentiment suggests people have no issue with non-offensive tattoos on police, and in fact, believe it shows they are part of the community they serve. We also don’t want to exclude suitable candidates from joining our ranks simply because of innocuous body art.”
Last year, 135 applicants were rejected or discouraged from applying to join the police force or the protective services due to their tattoos. The rejections were split evenly between male and female candidates.
In response to the policy shift, Victoria Police have reached out to past applicants who were previously excluded due to their tattoos to inform them that they may now be eligible under the new guidelines.
This change comes at a time when Victoria is facing a shortage of police officers. According to the Police Association of Victoria, there are currently more than 1,000 vacancies within the force.
The updated tattoo policy applies to both current officers and prospective recruits. While tattoos on the face, head, or front of the neck are still prohibited, tattoos must not be inappropriate or offensive in any way.
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