Please don't judge a book by its cover
Dr. Frank Kardasz, August 12, 2006
I recently read a column ridiculing the casual dress of police officers whom the writer had observed while the officers were busy working. The officers were observed conducting investigations or speaking with the media while wearing comfortable clothing instead of traditional police uniforms. The columnist didn't fault the actions of the officers, only their manner of dress. One officer was ridiculed because he was observed wearing shorts and because his legs were too white.
After reading the criticisms I thought: Please don't judge a book by its cover.
Sadly, we live in a culture where people are judged (and often misjudged) by their appearance. It is true that the very first thing that one notices when meeting someone is the other persons appearance. Unfortunately the cultural focus on appearance leads some people to unusual behavior: young women shoplift beauty supplies, people undergo body altering cosmetic surgeries or succumb to eating disorders. Millions of dollars are spent on tanning salons, beauty treatments and weight-reduction schemes.
I don't know the exact circumstances under which the critical columnist observed the officers in non-traditional police attire. Perhaps the officer wearing shorts in one hundred degree Arizona heat did not have time to tan his legs because he works all evening, attends court during the day and spends the rest of his time with his family, leaving precious few hours for the tanning salon. Perhaps the media relations officer wore a comfortable shirt one day because he has been working twelve hour shifts for the past few weeks trying to satisfy a media-frenzy of reporters hungry for information about a high-profile investigation and didn't have a spare dress shirt handy. Perhaps the investigator wearing jeans and a polo shirt at a crime scene was summoned from home during his off duty hours and had to rush to a scene to examine bloody or dirty evidence in filthy working conditions and didn't want to ruin his good clothes. I don't know the circumstances under which the officers were seen doing their jobs but I am grateful to them for doing the work.
I wonder if those in law enforcement aren't sometimes over-emphasizing the importance of the appearance of police officers. Some agencies have entire committees of personnel devoted to the development and application of meticulous rules about uniforms and appearance. There are expensive squads of honor guard personnel whose elaborate dress and conduct at special events are admired by many. When I think about the cost to the taxpayers for the time, equipment and overtime for these endeavors I wonder how these expenses might be redirected in order to support other traditional law enforcement functions.
What about the police as community representatives? If the police represent the communities they serve, should they dress with the Gestapo-like appearance of a Machiavellian elitist group of powerful snobs? One day I was talking with a veteran police officer who was describing a fellow officer. The officer he described was always meticulously well dressed and fastidiously well groomed but lazy and unproductive. He described the lazy officer as, "Chrome engine", and "All show and no-go." So you see, all that glitters is not gold. This does not imply that everyone in a shiny and beautifully tailored wool uniform is a self-absorbed narcissist. Many well dressed officers are also great cops, but as a taxpayer, I simply want officers who can make arrests and keep the peace, not model for a fashion magazine. Donning a uniform doesn't make someone an officer any more than donning a cowboy hat makes one a cowboy.
Some will argue that the uniform displays professionalism and commands respect. Manner of dress notwithstanding, an officer demonstrates professionalism and commands respect through verbal communication, eye contact, posture and gestures. The uniform is just one piece of the professionalism puzzle. Professionalism, integrity, ethics and honor have little to do with appearance. At the end of the movie, "A few good men" Tom Cruise, playing a lawyer who has just saved a confused and idealistic young marine from jail says, "You don't have to wear a patch on your sleeve to have honor."
Bottom line: Cops have a challenging job where the employer also recommends that they wear a bullet resistant vest to work. As long as they are out there making arrests and keeping the peace I don't give a hoot if their pants are wrinkled and their shoes are not shiny. There are more important things to worry about. Please don't judge a book by its cover.
Dr. Frank Kardasz is an active-duty sworn Arizona Peace Officer with 27 years of law enforcement experience in Michigan and Arizona. He can be contacted at kardasz@kardasz.org
I recently read a column ridiculing the casual dress of police officers whom the writer had observed while the officers were busy working. The officers were observed conducting investigations or speaking with the media while wearing comfortable clothing instead of traditional police uniforms. The columnist didn't fault the actions of the officers, only their manner of dress. One officer was ridiculed because he was observed wearing shorts and because his legs were too white.
After reading the criticisms I thought: Please don't judge a book by its cover.
Sadly, we live in a culture where people are judged (and often misjudged) by their appearance. It is true that the very first thing that one notices when meeting someone is the other persons appearance. Unfortunately the cultural focus on appearance leads some people to unusual behavior: young women shoplift beauty supplies, people undergo body altering cosmetic surgeries or succumb to eating disorders. Millions of dollars are spent on tanning salons, beauty treatments and weight-reduction schemes.
I don't know the exact circumstances under which the critical columnist observed the officers in non-traditional police attire. Perhaps the officer wearing shorts in one hundred degree Arizona heat did not have time to tan his legs because he works all evening, attends court during the day and spends the rest of his time with his family, leaving precious few hours for the tanning salon. Perhaps the media relations officer wore a comfortable shirt one day because he has been working twelve hour shifts for the past few weeks trying to satisfy a media-frenzy of reporters hungry for information about a high-profile investigation and didn't have a spare dress shirt handy. Perhaps the investigator wearing jeans and a polo shirt at a crime scene was summoned from home during his off duty hours and had to rush to a scene to examine bloody or dirty evidence in filthy working conditions and didn't want to ruin his good clothes. I don't know the circumstances under which the officers were seen doing their jobs but I am grateful to them for doing the work.
I wonder if those in law enforcement aren't sometimes over-emphasizing the importance of the appearance of police officers. Some agencies have entire committees of personnel devoted to the development and application of meticulous rules about uniforms and appearance. There are expensive squads of honor guard personnel whose elaborate dress and conduct at special events are admired by many. When I think about the cost to the taxpayers for the time, equipment and overtime for these endeavors I wonder how these expenses might be redirected in order to support other traditional law enforcement functions.
What about the police as community representatives? If the police represent the communities they serve, should they dress with the Gestapo-like appearance of a Machiavellian elitist group of powerful snobs? One day I was talking with a veteran police officer who was describing a fellow officer. The officer he described was always meticulously well dressed and fastidiously well groomed but lazy and unproductive. He described the lazy officer as, "Chrome engine", and "All show and no-go." So you see, all that glitters is not gold. This does not imply that everyone in a shiny and beautifully tailored wool uniform is a self-absorbed narcissist. Many well dressed officers are also great cops, but as a taxpayer, I simply want officers who can make arrests and keep the peace, not model for a fashion magazine. Donning a uniform doesn't make someone an officer any more than donning a cowboy hat makes one a cowboy.
Some will argue that the uniform displays professionalism and commands respect. Manner of dress notwithstanding, an officer demonstrates professionalism and commands respect through verbal communication, eye contact, posture and gestures. The uniform is just one piece of the professionalism puzzle. Professionalism, integrity, ethics and honor have little to do with appearance. At the end of the movie, "A few good men" Tom Cruise, playing a lawyer who has just saved a confused and idealistic young marine from jail says, "You don't have to wear a patch on your sleeve to have honor."
Bottom line: Cops have a challenging job where the employer also recommends that they wear a bullet resistant vest to work. As long as they are out there making arrests and keeping the peace I don't give a hoot if their pants are wrinkled and their shoes are not shiny. There are more important things to worry about. Please don't judge a book by its cover.
Dr. Frank Kardasz is an active-duty sworn Arizona Peace Officer with 27 years of law enforcement experience in Michigan and Arizona. He can be contacted at kardasz@kardasz.org