I am currently studying to become a police officer. I have noticed that a good portion of policemen have a mustach. (probably 2/3)
When I asked a few of them as to why so many officers have mustaches and none of them really had an answer.
So now I turn to the ever-knowing SD community.
WHY DO SO MANY POLICEMEN HAVE MUSTACHES?
-x out
My ex, a cop, always had a mustach. He just said he felt naked without it. However, I did notice that all of his friends had mustaches, too.
It’s an homage to The Village People and Freddie Mercury.
hmmm, I was hoping to find a historical or culteral refrence.
OH GREAT CECIL! I INVOKE THY GREAT POWERS OF KNOWLEDGE TO UNRAVEL THIS CONUNDRUM!
damn… didnt work.
any other ideas?
Because the ones who want beards can just have a mustache?
hmm, well beards are against most departments policies… so maybe you have a point there… however consider that even old west lawmen had mustaches and no beards…
Ive also considered that the upper lip is just a bugger to shave as a reason. but as for why SO many of them choose to have a catepilliar on their upper lip… gharrrr, need a answer!
-x out
Mustaches are supposed to be intimidating, or authoritative, so it’s encouraged that officers grow them.
I think Acidkid has it. They’d often like to have beards but department policy dictates no beards. Mustaches are allowed. Add to that, the number who whould only have mustaches and you have alot of mustaches.
This makes sense. The Amish grow only Greek beards, no mustaches, because of the mustached German Army.
Supposedly the answer is Police begain wearing them to avoid being dressed up as women as decoys for mugging detail. Now with women cops so prevelent it doesn’t happen as much.
Mustache’s have been out for so long. I can’t recall the last time I saw one.
I think Acidkid has it. They’d often like to have beards but department policy dictates no beards.
The department I work for specifically (written policy) allows beards. Which is lucky for a few of the female officers, because otherwise they would be in trouble!
But seriously. Our department is a rarity. Most don’t allow it, but that is changing a little (just a little) bit. More departments are allowing it.
I’ve found that departments locating in the northern part of the state allow beards more than those in the southern part.
The mustache thing is a tradition, but not really. I know just as many cops without facial hair as I know that have it. I only have facial hair because I loathe shaving. Taking a razor sharp blade to my face every day is not appealing to me. The mustache area is most sensitive on my puss, so I let it grow.
Okay, why don’t police departments allow beards?
bc beards are veiwed as ‘unclean’ or ‘unkept’ and many people find them grotesque and unrefined.
A thread from 2001 Why do so many cops have moustaches?
Have you ever felt intimidated by a moustache? Me neither.
Cite for departments encouraging officers to grow moustaches?
No cite, just something I’ve heard a few times.
I guess I’m not intimidated by a mustache at all, but a properly groomed mustache can make some people appear more authoritative to some, I guess.
By removing a mustache, you can quickly change your appearance.
Maybe?
Don’t know about cops, but one reason for the no beards policy in the service is it interferes with the fitting and seal of masks, such as OBA/SCBA, gas masks, etc.
Maybe cops have to have ready some type of gas mask for riot control? Is that something most beat cops carry in the trunk?
How’s this for a WAG…
While moustaches are not particularly intimidating (IMHO), they do tend to make a person look older. An older person will tend to be given more respect as authority than a “kid”. A 21-year-old cop, having just joined the force, might be encouraged to grow a 'stache so that he looks less like a 21-year-old. After a few years, he could conceivably get rid of it (as he does now actually look his 30 years), but it has become comfortable to him, and thus he keeps it.
I think (WAG here) that it’s a societal thing. A lot of people in the police society have moustaches because a lot of the people they spend time with (other cops) do. Take a look at your friends, odds are you have similar style, vocabularly, etc. Now imagine you’re a 21-year-old straight out of the academy. You probably want to try and fit in on the force, and being the only clean-shaven guy there isn’t going to help that, so you grow a 'stache like everyone else.