By Police1 Staff
LUBBOCK, Texas — A Texas town is following the lead of other cities and allowing officers to have well-groomed beards.
According to EverythingLubbock.com, the Lubbock Police Department changed their policy Jan. 13, allowing beards that are clean, neatly trimmed and “present a conservative, professional experience.” The officer’s neck must remain clean shaven and no soul patches or clumps of hair are allowed.
“The response was almost immediate, right after the policy came out, you saw a lot of officers starting on a beard, and a lot of them have kept their beards, some have shaved,” Assistant Chief Neal Barron said. “And [the bearded officers] look good, they’re neatly trimmed, I think they look sharp.”
Barron told the publication he believes it will make officers more approachable and hopes it encourages people to apply to the department.
“We have to stay competitive as far as our ability to attract applicants, and when other police departments do things to make themselves more competitive to make their policies less restrictive, in regards to facial hair and things like that, we have to keep up,” Barron said.