GO - 43002 - - Personal - Appearance - Standards

SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 430.02 Page 1 of 4 430.02 PERSONAL APPEARANCE STANDARDS 9/16/20 PURPOSE This policy establishes personal appearance standards for uniformed and professional staff members. POLICY In order to project uniformity and neutrality toward the public and other members of the department, members shall maintain their personal hygiene and appearance to display a professional image appropriate for the department and their assignment. Unless otherwise stated and because deviations from these standards could present officer safety issues, or there are cultural/religious, gender considerations (i.e. transitioning or non- binary members) or medical exemptions, the following appearance standards shall apply to uniformed and professional staff members unless specified. Exceptions may be granted to those members whose current assignment would deem them not appropriate, and where the Chief of Police (COP) or designee has granted an exception. PROCEDURE A. DEFINITIONS 1. TATTOO – Marking of the skin with indelible designs, forms, figures, art, etc., by making punctures in the skin and inserting pigment. 2. BRANDING – Intentional burning of the skin for the purpose of creating a design, form, figure, or art. 3. SCARIFICATION – Intentional cutting of the skin for the purpose of creating a design, form, figure, or art. 4. INTENTIONAL DISFIGUREMENT – The intentional disfigurement or mutilation of the body. Examples include, but are not limit ed to, split or forked tongues, foreign objects inserted under the skin, or holes in the ear larger than those caused by normal piercing. 5. COSMETIC TATTOOS – A cosmetic technique that employs tattoos as a means of producing designs that resemble makeup, suc h as eyeliner, eyebrow darkening, and other permanent coloration of the skin of the face, lips, and eyelids. Cosmetic tattoos shall not be considered tattoos for the purposes of this policy so long as they would not constitute a violation of any other department policy if they had been applied using a temporary technique such as conventional makeup. 6. MEDICAL TATTOOS – A tattoo applied for medical purposes. (i.e., as a warning that the patient suffers from a chronic disease or as a “marker” to aid in medical personnel in performing a medical procedure. A. HAIR 1. Hairstyles of all members shall be neat in appearance at all times. a. Hair shall be of a natural hair color and present a well -groomed appearance. b. Dyed, tinted or bleached hair must be within a naturally occurring color range. For purposes of this policy, the naturally occurring hair color range does not include colors such as pink, burgundy, blue, purple, green, etc. c. Wigs or hair pieces shall be a natural occurring hair color and in compliance with this policy. d. Professional staff and uniformed members in an administrative position may wear their hair loose in a reasonable length, unless it is determined by a department supervisor/manager that the length interferes with the ability to do their tasks. 2. UNIFORMED MEMBERS HAIR a. Hair must be styled in such a manner so that it does not interfere with any uniform headgear or any s pecialized equipment. Hair must not interfere with officer safety and effectiveness. SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 430.02 Page 2 of 4 b. Hairstyles must not impair vision. c. When a hat is worn, hair shall continue to be neat in appearance. d. Short hair: Hair length that extends no more than 1 inch from the scalp (excluding bangs). i. Hair must not extend below the top edge of the uniform collar while assuming a normal stance. e. Medium hair: Hair length that does not extend beyond the lower edge of the collar while assuming a normal stance and extends more than 1 inch from the scalp. Hair may fall naturally. f. Long hair: Hair must be worn up or in a tightly wrapped braid, bun or s hort ponytail towards the back of the head. The overall length of the ponytail shall not exceed three inches below the bottom of the uniform collar while assuming a normal stance. i. Messy buns may not be worn. g. Bangs, if worn, may not fall below the eyebrows. h. No decorative hair accessories shall be worn in the hair. However, clips or pins that are the same color as the hair may be worn. i. Clips or pins shall be worn to prevent obstruction of vision. B. EXEMPTIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS 1. The department will consider and may approve exceptions and accommodations based on assignments, cultural/religious or medical (i.e. growing facial hair) or safety issues to this policy on a case -by-case basis. Members seeking an exception or accommodation must submit a reasonable request to the COP and Equal Employment Opportunity Office of the City of Sacramento’s Human Resource Division. 2. Members who seek exemptions to this policy (e.g., culturally protected hairstyles, etc.) that are protected by law should generally be accommodated (Government Code § 12926 and Education Code § 212.1). A member with an exemption may be ineligible for an assignment if the individual accommodation presents a security or safety risk. The COP or designee should be advised any time a request