LAKELAND, Fla. — The Lakeland Police Department is relaxing its standards when it comes to its tattoo policy.

The agency, like many others in the Tampa Bay area, is struggling to find qualified recruits these days and thinks this will help.

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Some tattoo restrictions will remain in place. No neck or face tattoos. And nothing on hands or fingers.

Some say they understand the policy shift, but others were concerned about what the tattoos symbolize or say.

“I guess depending on what the tattoo represents is like a big thing,” a Polk resident, Syderia Hall, said. “Like I don’t think somebody should have a tattoo of a devil, or something on their arm trying to save the city or protect the city and do their job.”
"It’s not the tattoo itself that concerns me, but rather what is going to be next. Right?" Del Carmen explained. "What is going to be the next step after that?
It's a slippery slope and soon they'll be sliding toward police with devil tattoos. I'm surprised Ron DeSanctimonious hasn't passed a statewide law banning tattooed police.