Dallas Changes Firefighter Tattoo Policy to Help Recruit

Dallas police officers and fire-rescue employees will now be able to show their tattoos at work, a policy change meant to help the city’s recruitment and retention of first responders, city officials announced Friday.

Dallas police officers will also be able to show groomed, natural beards, officials said.

The changes, effective immediately, are meant to boost morale and put the agencies in line with others nationwide, according to a city of Dallas news release. It comes as the Dallas Police Department confronts a persistent staffing shortage. The department has around 3,000 officers — down from the 3,500-3,600 it had in 2014.

Dallas police Chief Eddie García told The Dallas Morning News the shift is meant to make the department’s men and women feel better and happier. Attrition numbers are getting smaller and police academy numbers have been rising in recent months, he said, but officials have continued to search for best practices to better recruit and retain.

During that research, they found no other major Texas police department prohibits tattoos or facial hair, the chief said. Dallas was an outlier.

“This profession is getting younger and it’s a different culture, so to speak,” García said. “Some will try to make this a bigger deal than it is, but the reality is we’re just catching up to what the standard in Texas is.

“We need to change. We need to evolve.”

Jason Evans, a spokesman for Dallas Fire-Rescue, told The News that the department’s policy is changing for the limited allowance of visible tattoos on their employees’ arms and legs. Prior to the change, members could have tattoos, but couldn’t show them beyond the coverage shown by their standard uniform, he said.

“If the tattoos were visible, the member would have to take measures (like long-sleeve shirts, long pants, sleeve cover of flesh toned patch, etc.) to cover them up,” he said.

Evans said Dallas Fire-Rescue isn’t changing its facial hair policy because it’s in place for firefighter safety. Members at times have to wear a “self contained breathing apparatus” so smoke doesn’t get into their mask, and a beard could compromise that, he noted.

Body art policy in DPD

The body art policy change marks the first time in DPD’s history that it’s allowing tattoos, García said.

When he first arrived in Texas in 2021, he said many officers were excited because they thought he’d immediately change the policy. The chief has trademark tattoos down both of his arms that pay tribute to his home of Puerto Rico, the Bible, law enforcement and family.

He resisted because he felt that it could polarize officers. While some people believe body art humanizes officers, the chief said, others believe it doesn’t look professional. As García was raised as a cop about 33 years ago, he recalled, body art had to be covered up.

Today, the philosophy that it humanizes officers has become more prevalent, he said.

“I’m an old-school cop,” the chief said, “but in these times, my job as a police chief is to try to make the working conditions as best as I can. Sometimes you have to evolve — and this is an area that I had to evolve in.”

There will be some restrictions. The body art has to be approved by the department. Any tattoos, brands and body art that depict discrimination, criminal street gangs, hate groups or anything obscene in nature are prohibited. In addition, employees can’t show tattoos on their face, neck, head or hands — unless it’s on a finger.

An employee will need to submit a description of their tattoo with photos, and either the chief’s office or a new committee of three sworn employees will review them to make sure they’re within the standard, García said.

“I would imagine there’ll be officers that’ll be getting short sleeves — especially this time of year,” the chief said, adding he also plans to buy more of his own short-sleeved shirts.

Association response

Leaders of the Dallas Police Department’s three largest officers associations voiced support for the change.

Sr. Cpl. Jaime Castro, president of the Dallas Police Association, told The News that the department must adapt to today’s society and what it deems as a new norm. Tattoos were part of that, he said.

“The DPA fully supports this change in order to avoid failure,” Castro said. “We must capture and retain all qualified candidates that are available to serve our community. This is a huge step in the right direction to help improve the morale and working conditions of our officers.”

Dallas police Sgt. George Aranda, president of the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization, said outdated policies are changing for the better across the country to recruit and retain employees. The department’s new embrace of beards and tattoos is no different, he said.

“In my 32 years of policing, the change of old ideology is inevitable but good for policing,” Aranda said.

Lt. Andre Taylor, president of the Black Police Association of Greater Dallas, told The News that the policy change reflects a progressive approach that acknowledges “the evolving identity of a new generation of officers.”

He said professionalism and competence will remain the cornerstone of effective policing — but the move will support a “more connected and representative police force.”

“This policy can help bridge the gap between law enforcement and diverse community members, fostering a sense of reliability and trust,” Taylor said. “The change may encourage a more inclusive workforce, drawing in recruits who feel that their individuality is respected.”