No valid reason for no-beard cops

THE EDITOR: The recent “right-to-wear” ruling by the courts that enables female police officers to wear a hijab on duty should provide some guidance for the Commissioner of Police in regard to male officers who wish to have beards.

The antiquated regulations which prohibit beards (save on medical advice) is just another piece of senseless colonialism which the TTPS (and Prison Service) have inherited from English police doctrine. There is no valid reason for a police officer of mature age not to keep a well groomed beard.

In the former mother country itself, police officers are allowed to have beards (some having unkept facial hair). One should note that a stubble does not constitute a beard, nor should beards be allowed to grow down to the torso of the officer.

Noteworthy is the fact that inmates of the Muslim faith can keep their beards while incarcerated, yet Muslim prison officers are denied permission to have beards. Of course this is just another example of the British raj still existing 2018 in TT.

Another piece of amusement may be gleaned by the fact that Christian, Muslim and Hindu members of the TTPS wear the Star of David as part of the official uniform. Anyone with a computer or smartphone can research the six-pointed blue line star and understand what it signifies to our Jewish brethren, whereby in TT it has no meaning.

MARSOOD KHAN via e-mail