301538

ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE GENERAL ORDER Effective Date: February 20, 2024  Amends - GO 9.1.3 ( May 3, 2017 ) Number: 9.1.3 Distribution: All Agency Personnel Review Month: March Reviewing Authority: HRD / Employee and Labor Relations Subject: General Appearance This order consists of the following: 1. Purpose 2. Policy 3. Definitions 4. Procedures 1. Purpose The purpose of this policy is to establish general appearance standards for all Sheriff’s Office employees. Agency members shall refer to GO 9.1.2 , Appearance, Uniforms, and Equipment for specific guidance on uniform standards. 2. Policy The success of the Orange County Sheriff's Office depends in large measure upon the image its agency members present. A. All agency members are expected to portray a professional appearance to co - workers and the general public. B. All agency members not in uniform shall wear the official agency identification badge while in an agency facility. C. All agency members shall be in compliance with general appearance standards during any business or business -related working hours. D. All managers and supervisors are responsible for monitoring their personnel’s appearance and enforce the standards outlined in this policy. 3. Definitions A. Body Ornamentation – includes, but is not limited to, tattoos, brands, dental ornamentation, and body piercing. B. Casual – Jeans or simila r casual wear, slacks, polo shirt, and shoes . C. Business Casual – slacks, khakis, dress shirt or blouse, button down or polo shirt, optional tie, sport coat or blazer , a dress or skirt at knee length or below, shirt or sweater, closed or ope n toed shoes and/or heels. D. Business Professional – business suit, blouse , or shirt with long sleeves, ties (e.g. neck, bow, etc.), closed or open toed shoes and/or heels, dress socks, pants, and skirts at knee length or below . 9.1.3, Page 2 of 4 4. Procedures A. Dress Requirem ents and Hygiene 1. All clothing will be of a professional nature and style, as deemed appropriate by the Division Commander or designee. 2. Washed -out, torn, frayed, or faded fabric is prohibited . 3. Shoes are to be worn at all times and must be in good repair. No slippers, flip-flops, sandals, or beach style shoes will be worn. Sworn personnel must be in closed toe shoes only. 4. Shorts, l eggings , or tights designed to be worn as athletic wear are prohibited, except when utilizing the agency gym or as may be appropriate for division assignment. 5. Sun dresses, spaghetti straps, backless, sheer see -through attire , halter tops, and tube t ops are prohibited. Low necklines revealing cleavage/chest area are prohibited . 6. Agency members will maintain their personal hygiene to avoid offensive odors from perfumes, colognes, or body odor in order to promote overall cleanliness. 7. Agency members who ar e authorized to wear business professional or business c asual attire will adhere to the definition standards set forth in this policy. 8. Agency members shall wear business p rofessional attire or a full uniform when appearing in court. 9. Agency members shall be properly groomed and their attire appropriately cleaned and pressed at all times. B. Body Ornamentation 1. Agency members shall not use gold, platinum, or other veneers or caps for the purposes of ornamentation unless prescribed by a dentist as necessary dental work. Teeth, whether natural, capped, or veneer, will not be decorated with designs, jewels, initials, etc. 2. Agency members shall not have any visible intentional/non -medical piercings (including tongue) except female employees who may wear up to two earrings per ear . Agency members shall not have any visible intentional mutilation. Examples of prohibited intentional mutilation include: a. Split or forked tongues . b. Foreign objects inserted under the skin to create a design or pattern . c. Enlarged or stretched out holes (gauging) in the ears (other than normal piercing) . d. Facial piercings are prohibited with the exception of a small nose 9.1.3, Page 3 of 4 ring, which is permitted for civilian non -uniformed personnel . 3. Agency members are prohibited from having any Body Ornamentation depict ing: a. Any extremist affiliations or symbolizing extremist philosophies. b. Organizations and/or messages that promote and/or advocate racial, color, gender, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, religious or ethnic hatred, intolerance or discrimination , or any other protected classification. c. Violence, lawlessness, criminal acts, nudity, sexually explicit or vulgar art, words, phrases , or profane language. d. Initials or acronyms that represent criminal, subversive , or historically oppressive organizations ( e.g. KKK, SS, street gang names, numbers, and/or symbols). 4. Unless approved by the Sheriff, agency members are prohibited from displaying any tattoos on the head, face, neck, scalp, hands, or fingers. Tattoos will be covered at all times when an employee attends, in an official capacity, judicial hearings , trials, award ceremonies, and at