A policeman of the Specialised Field Brigade is pictured in northern France. Spain relaxed its policy banning officers from the Guardia Civil from showing tattoos. AFP
Spain on November 8 relaxed its policy banning officers from the country’s oldest police force, the Guardia Civil, from exhibiting tattoos.
Officers will now be allowed to display tattoos anywhere on their bodies “as long as they do not contain expressions that violate constitutional values or harm the discipline or image of the force”, the interior minister said in a statement.
“For the first time visible tattoos will be allowed on uniformed officers,” it added.
The Guardia Civil mainly patrols and investigates crimes in rural areas, while Spain’s National Police focuses on urban areas.
Last year Spain’s leftist government appointed a woman to head the force for the first time in its 177-year history.
The increasing popularity of tattoos has led police forces around the world to regulate their use.
Los Angeles police are required to ensure that tattoos are not visible to the public while on-duty, while France’s Gendarmes police force also requires that they be covered.
