Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Last year, Police Scotland faced criticism over a policy that would have required many frontline officers and staff to shave off their facial hair. The clean-shaven policy was set to take effect in May of that year, but its implementation was halted for a year following public outcry. The policy is now officially dead, with Police Scotland indicating to BBC Scotland News that it has no plans to reintroduce it.
Four officers had sued Police Scotland after being instructed to shave, with the force eventually paying a total of £60,000 in compensation. The Scottish Police Federation, an organization that represents rank-and-file officers, had been particularly vocal in its opposition to the policy, calling it “draconian.” The Federation also cited the policy as evidence of a lack of thought and disregard for basic equality.
In May of the previous year, Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs had sent a message out on Police Scotland’s internal website notifying officers of the impending policy. He cited the need for personal protective equipment, including FFP3 facemasks, and argued that officers needed to be clean shaven in order to wear it. However, the Federation said that it received an unprecedented number of complaints about the policy shortly after its announcement.
Following the public backlash, Police Scotland postponed the policy’s introduction, stating that it needed more time to examine the evidence base on which the policy had been developed. In July of that year, the force said that it would review the policy’s implementation in 12 months’ time. Finally, in October, it emerged that the four officers who had sued the force had been awarded a total of £60,000
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.