Page 2 | US policewomen's hair

DuesToTheDirt · 2023-08-24T13:10:44+00:00

Random I know, but watching Manifest recently, and Unforgettable, the main (female) characters have long swishy hair that they wear loose. I always thought that the army and the police required long hair to be worn up so it can't be grabbed so easily in a fight. Googling tells me I'm broadly right on hair regulations, for the US as well as the UK. Thoughts? Does anyone have any personal experiences to share?

HonoriaLucastaDelagardie · 24/08/2023 15:58

Sargent Esterhaus wouldn't be happy with that!

'Be careful out there.'

Health and Safety is a personal responsibility

But it puts everyone at greater risk if one person is more vulnerable due to unwise style choices.

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 24/08/2023 16:09

PinkFootstool · 24/08/2023 15:16

I always wore mine in a bun as an officer even when I was in CID and not uniformed.

I work around a lot of prison officers and court security / van security officers and the number of women with long ponytails, often down to the waist (seems to be a fashion) makes me furious.

The first time they get into a bundle, that ponytail will be wrapped around the hand of the attacker and used to control them - god forbid it's used to smash their heads off things, but I've seen it all happen and some absolutely horrific injuries to women by the attacker using their long hair against them - partial scalping, knocked unconscious, pinned against walls etc.

So yes whilst it's required in a unformed role, it also needs a manager to properly enforce the uniform rules and few of them do in my experience.

That sounds horrible! Thanks for the insight.

a bun would be safer, I suppose? But this still seems somewhat grabbable, tbh (now that I’m truly considering it..)

Devilsmommy · 24/08/2023 16:12

That sounds horrible! Thanks for the insight.

a bun would be safer, I suppose? But this still seems somewhat grabbable, tbh (now that I’m truly considering it..)

Yes but it can't be wrapped around the hand like a ponytail so much safer really, not so easy to grab

PinkFootstool · 24/08/2023 16:28

Yeah, a bun can't be wrapped round a hand - grabbing it might loosen it off but they are hard to get a grip on because the hair slips around. Try it with your own hair 😂. Hair wrapped round a hand is very very hard to escape and gives them full control of your head and most of your upper body strength is gone.

But yes to me it's a basic piece of self preservation. This is not victim blaming - where an officer of any variety gets injured it's absolutely about being in control of your own safety in terrible situations where you are often trying to protect others, so you need to be on it.

I'm afraid many of the worst injuries were to domestic abuse victims or even on nightclub dancefloors where the perpetrator was frequently another woman - not a lot you can do in that scenario, and it's not put me off wearing my hair down in normal life. I still pin it up when I go into a prison though, and I wear my big comfy work boots so I can leg it if I need to - and I'm not on the wing without am officer to escort me through as I'm fat, middle aged and non-operational these days 😂

Vitriolinsanity · 24/08/2023 16:36

Yes it does @HonoriaLucastaDelagardie but trust me when I say you can implement all the correct protocols and procedures and the whole lot falls over because one person doesn't get their level of accountability.

Unrelated but true example. I recently purchased a load of the type of secure foot stools that enable a person to pin display items slightly above head height.

Imagine my astonishment to discover a person balanced on a draining board to do the same. I suppose they had used the foot stool to climb on the draining board

Original poster

DuesToTheDirt · 24/08/2023 20:30

Yeah OK, it's fiction (and don't get me started on the femae detectives/cops who chase after the criminals in high heels ), but it got me wondering... Some interesting points here, so thanks all, especially @PinkFootstool. That sounds horrendous . After I posted I thought, well wouldn't an opponent be able to get hold of a bun too, but it seems not.

OP posts:

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 24/08/2023 21:04

PinkFootstool · 24/08/2023 16:28

Yeah, a bun can't be wrapped round a hand - grabbing it might loosen it off but they are hard to get a grip on because the hair slips around. Try it with your own hair 😂. Hair wrapped round a hand is very very hard to escape and gives them full control of your head and most of your upper body strength is gone.

But yes to me it's a basic piece of self preservation. This is not victim blaming - where an officer of any variety gets injured it's absolutely about being in control of your own safety in terrible situations where you are often trying to protect others, so you need to be on it.

I'm afraid many of the worst injuries were to domestic abuse victims or even on nightclub dancefloors where the perpetrator was frequently another woman - not a lot you can do in that scenario, and it's not put me off wearing my hair down in normal life. I still pin it up when I go into a prison though, and I wear my big comfy work boots so I can leg it if I need to - and I'm not on the wing without am officer to escort me through as I'm fat, middle aged and non-operational these days 😂

Oh goodness, that’s genuinely horrifying!!

I suppose I already knew…. But it’s just striking how societal norms and expectations in regards to appearances/attire make women physically vulnerable.

earrings, long hair, heels (not that I regularly wear them), skirts etc. And no, I’m obviously not saying that women have to wear these but they are clearly very gendered…

US policewomen's hair

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