(Barbados Nation) A dress code that bans police officers from wearing dreadlocks, twists, beards, make-up, extreme hair colour or getting visible tattoos is causing an uproar in the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF).
Yesterday at roll call, the ban and modification to the appearance of the men and women sworn to protect and serve, went into effect and immediately had the rank and file calling on the Police Association to step in.
The officers are particularly peeved about the hair restrictions since many of them sport “natural” hair, which lends to many of the styles banned by the top brass of the force.
“Police officers are prohibited from wearing any style dreadlock or locks while in uniform or on duty in civilian attire . . . . Hairstyles (including bulk and length of hair) that either prevent an officer from wearing any prescribed headgear, or that interfere with the proper wearing of any equipment, are prohibited,” stated a section of the RBPF Policy On General Appearance Of Police Officers, dated January 15, 2015.
