TATTOO

Im new to this page but I seem to be hearing alot about a tattoo crisis at the pcso.... And of course I hear that, as usual, one person gets disciplined and/or fired and the next doesn't .. responses ???

As far as I know everyone has been disciplined the same. Some sort of suspension and remove the tat within a certain period of time.

can someone tell me why a tattoo is considered unprofessional by the sheriff, yet when a deputy decides to wear gold teeth to look like cool gangster rapper, thats considered professional?

I think if they can hire these new guys with these big ole tats on their arms they can overlook the ones that a few have gotten that can be covered up by a watch.. I understand that it is against GO's and that is the big deal here, but I would rather someone have one covered on a wrist than see D/S running around with huge tats all over their arms, visble wearing a uniform. Very unprofessional if you ask me.. But, I am a no one... And the gold teeth? VERY unprofessional........... HAS to be a GO on that....

amen. we hire on people with no communication skills and a phat grille. i'd send one nw deputy away if she came to my house looking to take a report.

its really no different than the obesity epidemic plaging the pcso. if i were a scroat, i'd just run from these jelly bellies. a huge fat guy or giant butt is just as unprofessional as a tatoo.

The academy does wear uniforms. They are light gray shirts and dark gray pants, made of polyester, just like officers and deputies wear. The tactical pants and polo shirt are for high liability training. Regarding push ups, you are again mistaken. Ask the current class.

WHO has the gold teeth in NW???

the problem is there isnt a "SPECIFIC" G.O. covering gold teeth. and even if there was a G.O., the deputy and sgt, oh yes i said SGT who have these ghetto gold teeth, work in west region and the sheriff isnt going to challenge that major to enforce anything. so sad

this person was trained,then retrained because she claimed she was treated unfairly. then i'm pretty sure she was transferred to detention because she still couldn't hack it. somehow,she's on the street again.

i found myself questioning why the administration would allow her to be retrained and put on the street. she(and others) lack even basic skills in english. then i saw some briefings in sw and i realized the brass not only hires this sort of person but they promote them.

i thought maybe it was a eeoc thing,but that isn't fair. we have plenty of qualified people from every creed and color. the problem is we have screw ups of every creed and color as well.

the applicant selection process is disqualifying certain good people and allowing poor candidates in. the safety net for this is our fto(sti) program but it has failed also. the program is designed to weed out those persons unable to do the job. i can only think of two or three people who have actually been disqualified by the process. our sts's and stl's need to enforce the directive set out in our sti program instead of fearing for legal retribution.

this is the person you count on to watch your back on a 1050,help secure a suspect on a 33,go with k9 on a track,settle a 10-8 situation alone,etc. why should we settle for less than the best we can find?

Because that's the pu**y country we've become, my friend. This country is going straight to s**t because of political correctness, lawsuits, and the fear of hurting someone's (of the right race) feelings no matter how stupid and inept they are. Hell, look at the idiot the democrats are running for president! And all the stupid koolaid drinkers are following right along. We're going to lose the America our parents and grandparents knew. I just hope I'm no longer here to see it.

the person I feel sorry for is the poor PIO who has to stand in front of the cameras one day when this type of stuff gets brought to the media's attention.. cause you know the sheriff sure isnt gonna be the one to stand there when negative publicity is abound. this will come to light one day when these officers do something stupid and the public questions how they were ever allowed to serve this county.. i can see the ball rolling down to the training officers cause the admin will leave em hanging and claim they didnt know anything was wrong.. can you remember the software license scandal. that poor captain ( yeah right ) who stepped up and took 10 days paid suspensions.. what a trooper ..how terrible

I’ve seen first hand the type of people turned away and from working here because of a tattoo. Some of them are squared away people with combat military service. Some of them were damn good recruits in the academy and would of probably been good deputies. But because of a tattoo, they were turned away. I was told the GO was for perception and how it looks "unprofessional". If a tattoo on the arm can be covered by a watch or a long sleeve shirt, how would this look "unprofessional"? If we are going to start enforcing things that look "unprofessional" I think the general public would rank morbid obesity and gold teeth a lot higher than a tattoo. As mentioned before a tattoo can be covered, and the deputy still looks professional. How are you going to cover up a jelly belly busting the uniform at the zipper or some gold teeth when you are face to face with John Q Citizen? I don’t have a single tattoo, but I do think that perception wise it’s an easy fix without loosing out on some damn good applicants.

With tattoos becoming more mainstream every year, the old guard who sees everyone with tattoos as scum will have fewer and fewer quality people to choose from. As the above poster said, qualified, squared away applicants have been turned away because of a visible tattoo. It's not just PCSO but LPD and TPD also have the same antiquated policy. I'm sure that there are many more but those jump to mind immediately. If the tattoo in question is racist or sexual in nature, then I can see the cause for concern. Other than that, if a Deputy of Officer is squared away and can do the job, get over yourself, change the GO's (we all know if can and has been done) and worry about something else that may actually mean something. Suspending someone for no other reason then they have a tattoo which (according to some of the posts) could be covered with a watch or wrist band, shows me that some folks need to reevaluate their priorities. Stay safe

this person was trained,then retrained because she claimed she was treated unfairly. then i'm pretty sure she was transferred to detention because she still couldn't hack it. somehow,she's on the street again.

i found myself questioning why the administration would allow her to be retrained and put on the street. she(and others) lack even basic skills in english. then i saw some briefings in sw and i realized the brass not only hires this sort of person but they promote them.

i thought maybe it was a eeoc thing,but that isn't fair. we have plenty of qualified people from every creed and color. the problem is we have screw ups of every creed and color as well.

the applicant selection process is disqualifying certain good people and allowing poor candidates in. the safety net for this is our fto(sti) program but it has failed also. the program is designed to weed out those persons unable to do the job. i can only think of two or three people who have actually been disqualified by the process. our sts's and stl's need to enforce the directive set out in our sti program instead of fearing for legal retribution.

this is the person you count on to watch your back on a 1050,help secure a suspect on a 33,go with k9 on a track,settle a 10-8 situation alone,etc. why should we settle for less than the best we can find?

In 2004 we got a trainee at NW that had previously been in the STI program, washed out and was placed in the comm center. On the second time in STI he washed out again. Guess what he wasn't fired. He was placed at the CJ opening Sally Port doors. Oh I forgotten to mention he was black and he also said he wasn't treated fair. But if he had been treated fair he would have been terminated the first time. This is a senior staff problem, because they are afraid of getting sued. As Deputies we get stuck with these people that can't even weather STI and then are substandard their whole career. The agency deserves better. Our citizens deserve better.

the AVERAGE patrol deputy deserves better...

That's why I'm not an STI anymore! I just watch after myself and just want to be left the hell alone. Not gonna hang me out to dry for someone else being a moron (be it staff or trainee). No thanks ...

That's why I'm not an STI anymore! I just watch after myself and just want to be left the hell alone. Not gonna hang me out to dry for someone else being a moron (be it staff or trainee). No thanks ...

You are so right on target. I feel the same way. The sad part is we have 5000-6000 numbers teaching trainees the wrong way........

That’s the bad part the STS and STL are to blame for shifting the bad apples until they get a sti who will simply check the box. It’s a wonder how some can sleep with a clear conscience at night. If they cant cut the job, let the process work the way it was designed, it shouldnt matter what race or creed they are.. They are all green to me.

I wonder what my supervisors would say if I come into work Friday wit a Gold Grill Dawg????????

I wonder what my supervisors would say if I come into work Friday wit a Gold Grill Dawg????????
If you were white you'd get screwed with....If you are a member of the gold grill gang you would have rights. If I had a Deputy show up with a gold grill black or white I would not answer the door. Very unprofessional............. :shock:

Since they took the trouble to redo the GO covering tattoos (in the peer review) why didnt they add anything in about the gold teeth? I guess that it looks professional in thier eyes, as long as they are polished, that USMC tattoo is uncalled for though...give me a break.

Not only is this DS an unprofessional looking idiot, who speaks (Edited Out), but she placed me in danger. She knows not to speak to me or ask me for a darn thing. I was working 6 1/2 months pregnant in the substation. I was interviewing two 85 year old victims in the briefing room. This idiot was in there with a w/m. I was unaware how stupid she was, and did not think anything about it. I interviewed my victim's. Mean while she gets up and walks out of the room. I look behind me and here is a rather large w/m with handcuffs on, but in the front. She did not say a word to me when she walked out, or put her 1015 in the cell(and he was sitting right by the door, I wish he would have ran from her.) But here I am sitting in a room with this person fat and pregnant with no means of defense other than my hands. She didnt even have the consideration to tell me there was a 1015 behind me. Needless to say I hit the roof. These are the times I wish things were the way they used to be, back in the day if someone did that their sector partners would take care of it. I wish I could!! I want to (Edited Out), tell my brother to run when he has warrants, live with him(he is a convict) and speak (Edited Out)....How long can I stay here? Needless to say I despise her and WHEN she screws up I hope it's not another DS that gets hurt.
All because her uncle has rank and has been mistreated, what a joke!!! Had I gotten hurt, I would have had enough money from this agency to take off of work for a while because her officer safety issues have been documented but here she is still 1065ing.....She is lucky I realized he was a 1015 and put him in the cell and walked out. I hate no one, but she is darn close!

WHAT ABOUT THE IDIOT THAT WORKS NW COPS/WABASH AREA? OR SHOULD I SAY ... DON'T WORK IT...

THIS SPECIFIC IGNORANT INDIVIDUAL WAS PUT INTO THE COPS UNIT WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING THE ELEMENTS OF A BATTERY/DOMESTIC VIOLENCE... HOW SIMPLE DOES IT GET, RIGHT? HE TOOK 5 HOURS ON THIS *ONE* CALL AND 2 HOURS OF THAT WAS CALLING A SPECIFIC WORTHLESS SGT. (WHOM IS NAMED THROUGHOUT THIS TOPIC) TO FIND OUT WHO HE SHOULD ARREST, WHEN THE PRIMARY AGGRESSOR ADMITTED TO BEING THE ONE WHO STARTED IT AND THREW THE 1ST BLOW... OH - AND I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WHEN HE CALLED THIS DUMB@$$ SGT. ... HE COULDN'T EVEN ANSWER WHO TO ARREST, HE TOLD HIM THAT HE BETTER CALL THE SHIFT SGT BECAUSE HE JUST WASNT SURE!!!! UGH!!!

THIS RETARD WAS ALSO FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGH S.T.E.P. BUT THE STI'S WERE *SUGGESTED* TO PASS THIS STUPID INDIVIDUAL! AND I STRESS THE WORD STUPID, EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T DO HIM ANY JUSTICE! :x

Let me clarify.. because someone has stripes, in my opinion, does not mean they should be considered " Rank ". The apple doesnt fall far from the family tree. The upper staff can play the lotto with these types of issues, hoping the media doesnt catch wind of it. I know the upper staff read this forum and are well aware of what is said. If they choose not to address the issues, what can I do. but rest assure if one of my sector partners, or any other deputy, is every injured due to this deputy's carelessness or incompetence, those same cameras the sheriff loves to get in front of when things are great, will be the same cameras in his face when it goes bad because of the lack of job knowledge by this person and their lack of response to it. I will NEVER turn my back on a deputy, or any other officer, requesting assistance, and unlike one recent incident, id never leave them in a fire-fight, but id rather this person not back me up if needed. the west region command staff has enough to worry about these days with supervisors sleeping with their deputies. ( ouch ) That said, ill get back to the issue at hand. The gold teeth are unprofessional and I truly believe it will never be addressed for the fear the sheriff's office has for the racial accusations that would occur from the S/W Major. and speaking of that major, has anybody pulled over a car and been handed a pcso business card with that majors name on it as if to warn you that you better let that car drive off ? Ive heard whispers that his business cards were handed out to members of his church with instructions to call him immediately if a deputy pulls them over ? has this happened to anyone? I want to be clear, this has not happened to me, ive heard the whispers and am curious if its ture. and regardless of your opinion, lets try not to sling profanity. Ill be the first to voice my opinion but lets try to keep it clean.

Im out people..... be safe

... NOT ONLY DID THIS SORRY EXCUSE FOR A DEPUTY NOT KNOW HIS JOB... A 10-8 S44A CAME ON THE SCREEN THE OTHER NIGHT... AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW, THE BABBLING IDIOT DOES THE ONLY 10-50 THAT HE HAD DONE FOR THE ENTIRE DAY, 1/4 OF A MILE AWAY FROM WHERE A FEMALE HAD JUMPED FROM A MOVING VEHICLE!

NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE K9 DEPUTY ANSWERED UP FOR THE CALL AND A DAYSHIFT D/S (WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HOME 2 HOURS PRIOR) WENT FOR S35... STILL THIS DUMB@ss ONLY 1/4 MILE AWAY!

THE 2 DEPUTIES ARRIVED ON SCENE FROM ACROSS TOWN, WENT HANDS ON WITH THE CRAZY S44A SUBJECT, AND PLACED HER IN CUSTODY. LOW AND BEHOLD THE C.O.P.S. DEPUTY ARRIVES! WHAT DOES HE DO WHEN HE ARRIVES YOU ASK???? HE STATES TO THE K9 DEPUTY AND DEPUTY THAT HAS BEEN WORKING FOR 14 HOURS... I WILL TAKE HER FOR A BAKER ACT BUT I'M NOT CHARGING HER WITH S89 BECAUSE I WASNT HERE WHEN IT HAPPENED!!! AS IF THE DEPUTY'S WORD WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH???? *****BS*****

WHO AM I TO THINK THAT HE WOULD KNOW THAT A DEPUTIES WORD IS SUFFICIENT??? HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HIS OWN COPS AREA!

HAVE I MENTIONED THAT HE'S AN *IDIOT*?

some "guest" made a comment about the west region having a problem with the supervisors sleeping with their troops - just to get the facts straight, the supervisor you are speaking of didn't "sleep" with anyone, they simply had conversation which was turned into much more than what it was. Just another product of someone putting their nose where it doesn't belong.

Isnt this the same Major and Sgt that are part of the Polk County Chapter of the NAACP? IF it IS the very same major then he actually has a title within that Chapter that has actually been quoted in the local newspaper?

We also still have a retired LT that works for us part time that is the PRESIDENT of the same chapter that this LT and Major attend.

[w1093]

LMBO- yes, isn't that something!!! You can be in the NAACP but God forbid someone be in the local chapter of the KKK!!!! I mean seriously... why be afraid of these people? Just because of your race, ethnicity, sex... doesn't mean you should get special priveledges!!! But hey, who am I??? Just a little ole' deputy sheriff! :?

Folks ... I know the deputies above of which you speak. Take my advice and just watch after yourself and those few who maybe you can trust to have your back. No use in getting all upset about it. In my experience those types of people sooner or later will work themselves out of the mix. I can think of quite a few over the years that ended up getting arrested and fired or do something so serious that even the major of which you speak couldnt save them. I just refuse to get all that upset about what other people do or the games they play. Not worth the added stress.

The NCW1 D/S is nice enough, just not real bright. He is under the wing of supervision from SW, just like one of the NW SSO's of the same pigment. If everything was kept on an even field no matter the amount of pigment in your skin, no one would get upset. I ignore it because I am smarter and better than these people and don't play the race game. The protection afforded to these people by the Major will come back to bite him later, never fear a good deed never goes unnoticed. Well gotta go get fitted for my gold teef and a weave dawg! YOYO PEACE OUT EBONICS RULZ :wink:

Wasn't this post supposed to be about the recent tatoo controversy?

This whole tattoo thing is absolutely rediculous!!! If the tattoo is racist, sexist or depicting anything sexual AND it is in a location that cannot be covered by conventional means.....then yes, there's a problem that needs to be addressed. I know of several highly qualified people who have been turned down simply because their tattoo was visible (forearm, bicep, etc). There tattoo was NOT offensive...rather it was a "badge of service" to our country which, by the way, we all swear to defend when we were sworn in!!! This tattoo controversy is absurd! Someone should redo the GO and apply some common sense which it is obviously lacking right now. As far as the gold teeth, ebonics and warning criminal suspect family members of future law enforcement actions......again, common sense would say GET RID OF THEM!!!! It is an outrage to know there is a deputy sheriff and Sergeant out there enforcing the law looking that way. I don't know the deputy personally but iv'e seen a picture.....it is rediculous...and as for the Sergeant (who used to be over the TRAFFIC unit), iv'e also heard that his license was suspended in Georgia 25 or so years ago for not showing up to court!! If his license is suspended in another state, is it not a crime for him to drive in Florida??...much less enforce the traffic laws in this state? How did he get a Fl license anyway?

All of the above makes me go...HMMM. Anyone else?

I know exactly who that d/s trainee now sally port door greeter is. When he worked in communications, he sucked in there too. He couldn't spell or put a complete sentence together that made sense when typing up a complaint screen. Perhaps he'll do ok at the job he's at now but he had no business in communications and definitely does not belong on the road.

[w1093]

Tattoo's don't make the person! Tattoo's usually have strong meaning, whether it be about family or past experiences...

Gold teeth are chosen to look GHETTO! Even those of the darker "pigment" will tell you that it is in fact GHETTO! That's how you separate the good from the bad.

Oh well, things will not change with that! There are too many people that are scared of something back-firing. :x

All this Racial Tension? Is it always this way?

Whoa Whoa.. the topics are sure jumping around. But something was said that caught my eye.. Did someone say we have an Ex-Traffic Sgt with a suspended license in the great state of Georgia? Im no wizard but im pretty sure that you CANT drive in the great state of Florida with a suspended license from another state.. Which BEGS THE QUESTION !!! HOW IN THE HELL DOES THIS SGT HAVE A JOB ? and.. as someone quoted in a previous message, im also sure the upper staff read these messages, so THEY BETTER GET A GRIP. if this person is driving an agency vehicle and gets in an accident, he would be at fault regardless. do we not arrest people all the time for dwlsr when they are involved in an accident ?? regardless of who is at fault because the fact is, if this person wasnt driving ( WHICH BY LAW THEY ARENT ALLOWED TO DO ) the accident would NOT HAVE OCCURRED !!! has this person been involved in accidents before ? and if so, how has the upper staff been made aware of his suspended license, or the public, or the other party in the accident?? can someone say LAWSUIT ? better yet.. can anyone advise me the number to the F.D.L.E? Ill make sure they are aware of this ..

What if it is an American Flag on your forarm?

what if its a cool tatt of grady??

LMAO! That'd be awesome! LOL!

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this is what the registration page read. i think before you post anything about anyone on this site, you need to read first.

i hope something gets done about all this hateful, slanderous, abusive and threating posting MODERATOR!!!!! If you don't, i will

Good lord. reading all of this it appears that all of this started over a questions over tattoos. Now were talking about racial remarks and hacking and whatever else the previous writer stated. I agree with the previous writer. we are all entitled to our opinion but your opinion should be stated only when it is NOT OFFENSIVE, ABUSIVE , THREATENING, RACIAL , and whatever else he/she said. It gets to the point of absurd when all of these accusations are made and no way to prove/disprove them. It is slander when you state things that arent true, ie CALLING someone a slacker or a racists or making reference to the KKK. that is going a bit overboard. simply asking questions is NOT considered slander. that said - I think the tattoo policy is a bit over the top but I dont write the policies so why dont we drop the whole subject and look to the future. Peter Griffin for president !

Everybody step back and take a breath. sticks & stones remember.

I don't see black or white or hispanic in my fellow deputies. I see only green.

if you can't see that only black deputies were attacked in this topic, well then your are more foolish and hypocritical than any other poster on this site.

Because that's the pu**y country we've become, my friend. This country is going straight to s**t because of political correctness, lawsuits, and the fear of hurting someone's (of the right race) feelings no matter how stupid and inept they are. Hell, look at the idiot the democrats are running for president! And all the stupid koolaid drinkers are following right along. We're going to lose the America our parents and grandparents knew. I just hope I'm no longer here to see it.


see what i mean, your hands aren't clean, so stop trying to act like you are some righteous saint, because your not.

I think what he meant was the opposite of how you took it. He meant that he does not differentiate between a white, black, or an hispanic co worker/deputy. He sees only a deputy. And the other opinion was about political correctness and how some people (not all) use their race/religion to deflect criticism of their actions. Must be awkward to walk around balancing that chip on your shoulder all of the time.

Lets all try to get along. we need to realize that we all wear green and that makes us all family, regardless of what position you hold. I for one dont care if you are considered a slacker, racist , idiot whatever.. if u call for help, you can BET YOUR ASS im 10-51 10-18 and when I get there, heads are gonna get cracked. you (suspects) can file all the complaints you want ( dam sure wont be my first ). we are human. we will always have a difference of opinion so lets agree to disagree and be PROUD of the fact that the Polk Co Sheriff's Office will NEVER be " merged " cause we ARE THE BEST DAM AGENCY IN THE STATE ( LETS GO METRO.. SHERIFF JUDD YOU HAVE THE POWER ) . ..... And before anyones says it .. I AM NOT ON THE PROMOTION LIST !!! We have much more important things to worry about than this. LIKE LOSING 10-85 !!!

Question -- will the loss of 10-85 apply to staff ?? I seriously doubt it but if it does apply.. will they be held accountable WHEN observed being 10-85 or will all staff members be exempt from punishment as usual. what self serving clown ( for lack of a non-profane word ) wrote that G.O ???

I don't think we are losing 1085 are we? Only detectives for the purpose of driving their families around while off duty, unless they are taking kids to school on their way to work, or, if they are on call. Then I guess some of the part timers are having their cars taken away, to be left at the station. Is there something I missed? Anyone hear about us having to turn in our pagers? Meeting minute notes said something about us putting in our home numbers (which has always been required anyway) and personal cell phone numbers in the CAD screen...Any comments??? Or anyone heard anything different?

I'm very happy to turn in my pager! And as far as 10-85 I only use it to go train at the gym, etc, anyway so I think they just need to restrict it to job related activities or personal training. We'll see ...

I know a lot of people dont care for this, but I would rather give 80 dollars a month back to the S.O. to use their vehicles and gas then attempt to fill up mine.

In all actuality, 80 dollars will fill up the vehicle that they loaned me for my 10-85 time for the entire month (better on gas, and more efficient) as well as some of it being used on duty. 80 dollars for my personal vehicle is a one time fill which I have to do to visit family in north Orlando monthly. Then more for county related trips

Other then taking my kids to school and me to the gym (next door to each other) I dont use it off duty. But if the SO did offer that, I would definately take them up on it.

A LITTLE BIRD WHISPERED IN MY EAR AND TOLD ME STAFF IS WATCHING THIS THREAD CLOSELY REFERENCE PERSONAL ATTACKS AS BLACK D/S PERCEIVES. THE THREAD WAS STARTED OVER TATTOOS AND WENT TO GOLD TEETH AND PREFERRED TREATMENT. MOST OF WHAT WAS SAID IS FACTUAL NOT RACIAL, BUT SOME WENT TOO FAR. MODERATOR, BASED ON WHAT I HAVE READ ON THIS TOPIC, I DO NOT SEE ANY VIOLATION OF THE USER AGREEMENT. ANY COMMENTS? YOU CAN BET IF THIS TOPIC IS NOT DROPPED IP ADDRESSES CAN BE DISCOVERED. APPARENTLY, CULTURE AND PROFESSIONALISM CAN'T BE MIXED, BUT GOLD TEETH AND RIDICULOUS TATTOOS ARE NEITHER CULTURAL NOR PROFESSIONAL. BY THE WAY, GOOD LUCK WITH THIS IP ADDRESS BECAUSE IF YOU FIGURE OUT WHO I AM, YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM NOT A RACIST OR A HATER!

I say delete the whole silly thread, get off other people's backs, do your job and mind your own business, and move forward already ...

[NotsoOld Cop]

Wow! I haven't been in this website for ages, and after reading this thread, I remember why! The negativity, the back biting, complaining, and whining is embarrassing. This agency isn't the only one that monitors this site. It's open to the general public, the military, other law enforcement, and anyone with a computer. It's scarey to think that some of you are setting the image of this agency for the people in this community. I don't know what is worse, the "unprofessional" appearance you've been discussing, or the unprofessional attitudes I've seen hear.

If you have a problem with a fellow deputy, have the backbone to address it with them personally. Doing it here, as a "Guest" is cowardice. If you don't have the guts to confront another deputy about his/her shortcomings, then suck it up and move on. This behavior is degrading to everyone here, yourselves included. It makes you no better than the people you put down.

I've worked in this agency a LOT longer than most of you. You think you have such a tough time now? You should've been here when we were having to suck up the cost of building that courthouse in Bartow...twice. There was no such thing as "1085" back then. Raises were nonexistent too. We have it a lot better now. If you don't think so, go someplace else and see. Having history with this agency, I see your complaints as pretty shallow.

As for this thread, does everyone here have ADD? It's a thread about tattoos. How hard is it to stick to the topic, people? Good God!

I have 10 tattoos...so far. I am a veteran LEO. I am also part of the growing tattoo culture. Look around you, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Tattoos cross all walks of life, all ages, all educational and economic boundaries. We are here to stay. If you're observant, you'll notice that even some of our administrative assistants (secretaries) have tats. However, as with anything else, there are people who have to go overboard. They can't seem to use their own common sense about what is appropriate, and what isn't. That's why GO's are enacted.

Of my 10, only 2 are visible while I'm in uniform. One barely peeks out from under my collar, and only if I hold my head just right. The other is small, but easily seen on my wrist. I've had these tats for years. Only once, has any administrator attempted to give me a hard time about it. Because he couldn't establish when I got them (before or after the GO), it never went anywhere. In fact, I used to wear a wrist watch that covered it...because I AM a professional. After that, I stopped wearing a watch, and haven't had one on since then.

The bottom line...all significant sized agencies have some sort of policy that addresses tattoos. Most policies don't favor tats. If you know your agency's policy, and you violate it anyway, expect something to happen. As I said, my visible tats go back beyond the GO. Since the GO...and the new GO...my newer tats (the newest is only 3 months old) are all discreetly located under my uniform. USE COMMON SENSE!! We are held to a higher standard. How much confidence do we instill in people if we look scarier than the criminals on the street?

Some folks might see this as being "pro" Sheriff's Office. It's not. It's pro-fessional. I'm one of the biggest rebels around. My free-thinking has gotten me into more than one or two jams over the bumpy course of my career, and kept me from EVER being interested in the promotional exam. But I know when, and which fights to pick. This one, you won't win.