Tattoos and the Gardai

Our justice system is an utter shambles and this is what they focus on. The garda siochana is not fit for purpose. You'd swear they were still policing 1940s Ireland.

tis hardly anything to do with the fact its possible one of the biggest sh1ttest jobs on the planet, with absolutely sh1te pay and conditions, having to spend everyday on the job dealing with some of societies most dysfunctional fcuked up sh1te....

...and yes, this policy should have been binned years ago, but no, id say its not playing much of a part in the significant drop in interest in the job.....

I can understand how certain symbols could impact the perception of impartiality so yes in that case it would be important that those symbols be removed- I guess then you’re into the question of what constitutes an impartial symbol? If you have a tattoo of your favourite team and you’re policing a match where that team is playing against another, would that create problems?

I would have said general body art shouldn’t be prohibited with in reason, carefully defined etc but yeah, in general I’m with you OP on this - it’s an outdated approach and risks alienating people who may well be very suited and good at the role of a Guard. They need to stop treating Gardai as children in general.

So you clearly hold the view that you don’t take anyone with a tattoo seriously?

WOW- what a closed and stereotypical mind you have.

Remember a few years ago they wouldn't allow facial hair, this will also change.

Depends what they mean by seriously. Like I would obviously respect a person, tattoos or not but I would still have a bias in the back of my head if it came down to a very serious work situation where I'd question the maturity of someone who just got a recent visible tattoo. It would make me wonder why they need the attention, the validation, why they can't handle the expression of their personality within the confines of their own brain and feel the need to permanently mark their skin with an obviously aesthetically inferior ink compared to the beauty of natural skin. However it's a personal choice and I respect that. Doesn't mean I wouldn't think the above though.

No point in rolling back now with a load of provisos - your statement was very clear- it didn’t mention things like “unless the lady Garda is “hawt” “ or whatever else you’ve posted above 🤪

“Do you want to have tattoos or do you want to be taken seriously? Pick one.”

Gardai are allowed have them if they're covered by a long sleeve shirt, these must have been visible on hands etc.

That's absolutely ridiculous, but I'm even more amazed by the suggestion that they can re-join if they get their tattoos removed. Here, you can re-join if you get a painful, expensive treatment that isn't even guaranteed to work.

I have scars from trying to get a tattoo removed professionally a a laser clinic, and it's one that I got on my ankle with I was 14. (I wish I had more sense / the tattoo guy had asked for ID at the time, but that's as it is.)

You don't see vulnerability when you see these? That guy with the classical bust,maybe Marcus Aurelius, makes me think ego, prideful, nationalism(potential to be racist?), fake stoicism, probably lacks the discipline. First impressions, probably has no material impact 99% of the time

Real police. Not like our glorified supermarket security Garda force.

I'm in my thirties, have at least two more tattoos planned. Equally I know people in their forties who still get tattoos. Imho, it's here to stay. Check nations like Italy where's it's been the norm to get tattoos.

I am just being honest here, we have stone age brains!

The idea of police is that they are uniformed, indistinguishable, void of visible vulnerability. Also important that there are no signs of political bias, so that there cannot be even a perception of the personal views of an individual garda.

How the hell are tattoos a sign of visible vulnerability? Obviously if one had a politically motivated tattoo (insert whatever you want here), that can be dealt with.

You however are putting all tattoos into the same category. You are indeed being honest, you’re judging people on how they look. That says more about you than folks with tattoos.

And what is the problem with that then? Because I’m struggling to see any point of view other than you see tattoos, and you have an automatic biased applied to them.