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Policy Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office 1042 Policy Manual Grooming and Appearance Standards 1042.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE In order to project uniformity and neutrality toward the public and all personnel within the Sheriff's Office, all on-duty personnel shall maintain their personal hygiene and appearance to project an image appropriate for the professionalism of this office and for their assignment. 1042.2 GROOMING STANDARDS Unless otherwise stated and because deviations from these standards could present officer safety issues, the following appearance standards shall apply to all on-duty personnel, except those whose current assignment would deem them not appropriate, and where the Sheriff, Undersheriff, Assistant Sheriff or division Captain has granted exception. 1042.2.1 HAIR Hairstyles of all personnel shall be neat and professional in appearance. For male sworn personnel, hair must not extend below the top edge of the uniform collar while assuming a normal upright stance. For female sworn personnel, hair must be no longer than the horizontal level of the bottom of the uniform patch when assuming a normal upright stance, worn up or in a tightly wrapped bun, braid or ponytail. 1042.2.2 MUSTACHES Sworn and non-sworn personnel are permitted to wear a mustache that is maintained at a length and pattern so as not to detract from the employee's professional appearance. Mustaches shall not extend below the corners of the mouth or beyond the natural hairline of the upper lip. 1042.2.3 SIDEBURNS Sideburns shall not extend below the bottom of the lowest ear opening (the top of the earlobes) and shall be trimmed and neat. 1042.2.4 FACIAL HAIR Sworn and non-sworn personnel are permitted to wear beards or goatees that are maintained at a length and pattern so as not to detract from the employee's professional appearance. Beards or goatees shall be well-groomed and neatly trimmed at all times. Beards must be trimmed, have clean lines, shall not be permitted below the jaw line or on the neck, and shall be uniform in length and style and connect with a mustache. Goatees shall cover the width of the chin below the lips, connect with a mustache and have a clean shaven void between the lower lip and top of the chin hairline. Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2022/08/29, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Grooming and Appearance Standards - 1 Beards or goatees that have a non-uniform style, length or patchy appearance will not be permitted. Sworn personnel in uniform shall not exceed a maximum beard or goatee length of one-half of an inch. When starting to grow a beard or goatee, personnel shall start on a period of at least three days off to present a more professional appearance upon return to duty and prevent working while in an 'unshaven' state. Personnel will not be permitted to report to work without shaving, claiming they have started to grow a beard. Sworn personnel working in undercover or specialized assignments requiring facial hair not otherwise authorized by this policy, shall be exempt from these restrictions. Personnel recognize that with the implementation of this policy, the intent is to maintain a professional appearance in our personnel while still allowing some individuality and being reflective of the community we serve. All sworn personnel must maintain facial hair that allows the proper fit and function of personal protective equipment including department issued gas masks and or SCBA. FACIAL HAIR REVIEW BOARD Supervisors will be responsible for ensuring that their subordinates conform to the standards outlined in this policy. If a Supervisor feels that an employee's beard or goatee does not meet these standards and cannot be corrected with trimming and maintenance, the employee will be referred to the Facial Hair Review Board for evaluation. The Facial Hair Review Board will be comprised of three members, two Lieutenants and one member from the employees represented union assigned to the Uniform Committee. The three-member board will convene within 14 days of the referral and evaluate the employee's appearance, keeping in mind the rules outlined in this policy. The decision of the Facial Hair Review Board on whether an employee is conforming to this policy will be final. Personnel who receive an unfavorable ruling from the Facial Hair Review Board shall wait one year before re-attempting to grow a beard in accordance with the standards of this policy. 1042.2.5 FINGERNAILS Fingernails extending beyond the tip of the finger can pose a safety hazard to deputies or others. For this reason, personnel should use discretion and ensure fingernails are trimmed and clean to provide a professional appearance and not to interfere with the safe performance of duties. Nail colors should be conservative and not distracting. 1042.2.6 JEWELRY For the purpose of this policy, jewelry refers to rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, wristwatches, and tie tacks or tie bars. Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2022/08/29, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Grooming and Appearance Standards - 2 Jewelry shall present a professional image and may not create a safety concern for personnel or others. Jewelry that depicts racial, sexual, discriminatory, criminal-related, or obscene language is not allowed. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) 1042.3 (f) Necklaces shall not be visible above the shirt collar. Earrings shall be small and limited to one per ear worn only