VIDEO: Public safety departments across the country are ditching dated restrictive grooming and appearance standards. It's an effort to modernize policing with hopes of boosting morale and bolstering recruitment and retention efforts.
As of June, the City of Montgomery is part of the national trend, allowing officers and firefighters to grow facial hair and show tattoos while in uniform.
Sgt. Jarrett Williams is one of many officers to quickly take advantage of the new grooming standards.
“This is a way for MPD to get a little progressive and be part of the 21st century,” Williams stated. “Now we are moving along with the times and it’s going to look different when you see officers coming in your house. They are going to have facial hair, you’re going to see some tattoos.”
The public is already catching on.