41765686.pdf

\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER TITLE ACCREDITATION Grooming and Personal Appearance N/A PRIOR REVISIONS PROPONENT UNIT 08/21/06, 11/24/15, Professional Standards Branch 1/23/20 ATTACHMENT: None NUMBER ISSUE DATE REVISION DATE TOTAL PAGES 26.2 07/01/1998 03/18/2021 7 I. PURPOSE: This Order establishes grooming and appearance standards for Departmental personnel. II. POLICY: The image that police personnel present to the public has a direct impact on the effectiveness of law enforcement services, and the perception of how they are delivered, the Department shall establish policies which regulate standards of grooming, appearance and dress of its members. III. SCOPE: This Order applies to all members of the Department. IV. DEFINITIONS: A. Uniformed Members: Refers to all members who wear any of the Departmental uniforms, including police officers, police service technicians, and school crossing guards. V. PROCEDURE: A. Personal Appearance: While on duty, Department members shall maintain a neat and clean appearance, keep their clothing and uniforms (if issued) pressed and in good condition. B. Hairstyles: 1. General: All members of the Gainesville Police Department, to include both sworn and non-sworn personnel, shall maintain a hairstyle which does not: i. Present a negative or unprofessional image of the member or the Department; ii. Present a ragged, unkempt appearance; iii. Display an extreme look in style, design or color. Hair that is colored must mimic a natural hair color and not detract from the Department’s professional image. iv. Require continual attention to keep in place;\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT v. Contain/include conspicuous hair ornaments, glitter, paint, hairnets, beads and/or other similar decorations; vi. Hair shall be well-kept and maintained and, when worn either up or down, shall not cover the eyes or impede the member’s line of sight in any direction; or cover any badge or police insignia. vii. Be of any extreme hairstyle nor have any messages via lettering, numbering or symbols which are shaved into the scalp. viii. Hairstyles must not interfere with the normal wearing of hat, gasmask (sworn members), or other equipment. C. Facial Hair: All Department members with facial hair (either a mustache, goatee, or beard), shall keep it neatly trimmed and well maintained. Facial hair must not detract from the Department’s professional appearance. Uniform members have additional requirements below. 1. Mustaches: All uniform members may wear mustaches which are neatly trimmed and maintained. Members in uniform shall only wear mustaches that do not: i. Cover any portion of the upper lip, ii. Present a bushy or unkempt appearance, iii. Protrude more than one- quarter (1/4) inch from the face, iv. Extend beyond or below the corners of the mouth, v. Exhibit an extreme style, such as a Handlebar, “Toothbrush”, or Fu Manchus. 2. Goatees: Uniform members may wear goatees when worn in combination with a mustache. The goatee shall: i. Be neatly trimmed and uniform from top to bottom, ii. Not exceed one-quarter (1/4) inch from the face. 3. Sideburns: Uniform members may wear sideburns, but, if worn, the sideburns shall: i. Be neatly trimmed and uniform from top to bottom, ii. Not exceed one inch in width, iii. Not protrude more than one quarter (1/4) inch from the face, iv. Be cut horizontally along the side of the face and shall not extend below the ear canal. 4. Beards: Uniform members may wear beards, but, if worn, the beard shall: i. Be neatly trimmed and uniform from top to bottom, 2\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT ii. Not extend past the Member’s neck line, or up onto the cheeks under the eyes, iii. Not protrude more than one quarter inch (1/4) from the face NOTE: All sworn members may be required to remove any facial hair that interferes with using a gas mask if directed by a supervisor and if the imminent use of chemical agents is expected. D. Jewelry: For uniform members, jewelry worn on duty should not present an unprofessional appearance, interfere with members’ ability to perform their duties (such as the wearing of sharp rings which can pierce gloves), or violate any of the below restrictions. Loss of, or damage to, jewelry items (other than watches) is the employee’s responsibility [see GO 41.6 ]. 1. Uniform Members: While on duty, sworn and non-sworn uniformed members are prohibited from wearing any visible jewelry other than: i. Wrist-watch; ii. One ring per hand: Two-ring engagement/wedding set may be considered to be one ring. iii. Only small post or stud type earrings. The number of earrings should never exceed 2 per ear, but should not detract from the professional appearance of the Department. iv. One bracelet on each wrist. For sworn members, any bracelet worn cannot interfere with their normal operations, including the possible use-of-force. 2. Department Members: While on duty, department members (both sworn and non- sworn) are discouraged from wearing visible jewelry (or other item) that is affixed to the body via a body piercing, i.e. nostril or eyebrow piercings. If worn, the piercing must be almost unnoticeable and should be approved first by a Bureau Commander to ensure it does not detract from the professional image of the Department. Exception: Pierced earrings. 3. Medic-Alert: Members may wear a bracelet or necklace containing medical information concerning the member, in addition to the aforementioned regulations. E. Body Make-up/Art: All Department members shall not wear body paint, glitter or other similar visible adornments while on-duty. 1. All Members: i. Fingernails must be neat/trimmed and shall not extend more than ¼” from the tip of the finger; ii. Regular cosmetics, if worn, shall be subdued, conservative and present a professional appearance. 2. Uniformed Members: 3\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT i. Fingernails shall not extend more than 1/4” from the tip of the finger; ii. Fingernail polish, if worn, must not detract from the professional appearance of the Department. F. Non-Uniform Dress Code: On-duty members not in uniform (whether sworn or not sworn) shall: 1. Wear clothing which presents a clean, neat, well-groomed, professional appearance and which promotes public confidence, acceptance and respect; 2. Present an overall business-like appearance in accordance with their specific duty environment and assignments as determined by their bureau/district commanders. 3. Everyone is expected to be well-groomed and wear clean clothing, free of holes, tears, or other signs of wear. 4. Prohibited attire for all Department members includes: i. Shorts (with the exception of Crossing Guards or members of the department on bike patrol or special duty assignment. See G.O. 41.5); ii. Flip-flops or any shoe which would be considered a “sandal” or any shoe not having a back strap or other means that would affix it to the heel; iii. Tank tops or “muscle shirts” wherein the shoulders or armpits are exposed (this shall not apply to sleeveless blouses) iv. Dresses wherein the shoulder straps are not at least 1” in width, i.e. no “spaghetti-strap” dresses or halter-tops; v. Clothing with offensive or inappropriate designs or stamps are not allowed. vi. Denim clothing in any color/shade, including tops, pants, and skirts; vii. Clothing should not be too revealing. viii. Exceptions to all of the above listed prohibitions may be waived by the member’s direct supervisor based upon the member’s work assignment (both permanently or temporarily) G. Uniform Dress Code: All on-duty members dressed in their standard duty uniform, training uniform or specialty unit uniform shall abide by the guidelines under General Order 41.5 (Uniforms). H. Attire while attending Training and Court: 1. In-Service Training Uniform: Sworn Department members may wear the GPD Training Uniform (gold, badged polo-type top with navy blue BDU-style pants) w