A new chief claims that a professional appearance plays a significant role in the public’s faith in the force, and female police officers in London may soon be ordered to wear hairnets once again.
Dame Lynne Owens, who will take over as deputy commissioner in a month, criticised “inconsistent hairstyles worn on duty” and hinted that the Met’s dress code for all active officers will be revisited.
On Twitter, she shared a photo of a stylish pair of leather shoes with hair nets and the message, “Time to begin working on those shoes.”
Standards are important, in my opinion, since they have a direct impact on how the public perceives us.
I realise there are other essentials to do right too (responding properly, researching carefully, helping victims… the list is lengthy), she said in a proactive reply to her own tweet, highlighting other issues.
The Met’s image has been tarnished as a result of a string of crises that have affected them.
Officers were discovered to have traded “grossly obscene” comments with Wayne Couzens in a WhatsApp group, and recently a mother caught one officer saying her “I’d want to search you.”
The force is presently under special measures owing to “systematic” problems.
A commenter questioned Dame Lynne’s priorities after she uploaded the picture, to which she responded, “I honestly feel the two are related.” Of course, public service is the key indicator.
I realise this is not a stand-alone issue, she stated to another user. We must examine all the factors that make life difficult for diligent police. I think we can do both at once.
The ‘kindest term’ to describe how female officers now style their hair is ‘inconsistency,’ according to Dame Lynne.
She wrote, “None of us should stroll on by.” Others can do it without a net, but not me, I say.