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Why do most cops have shaved heads?

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udbcrzy2 Donating Member (572 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:51 PM
Original message
Why do most cops have shaved heads?
I have noticed that most cops have shaved heads? I understand that there are many men with shaved heads, but most police officers have their heads shaved. Just wondering what's up with that skin head look?
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SleeplessInAlabama Donating Member (341 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:52 PM
Response to Original message
1. Well, they're required to keep it below a certain length.
Why some choose to take it all the way for the skinhead look is beyond me.
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MineralMan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:54 PM
Response to Reply #1
4. It's a quasi-military thing, I think.
Cops are quasi-military and the tight haircut has long been associated with the military in this country. White sides is probably the ugliest look for a man I can imagine, and yet, you see that on men all the time.
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SomeGuyInEagan Donating Member (872 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:53 PM
Response to Original message
2. Dunno, but reminds me of one of my favorite jokes ...
Q: Why do so many cops have mustaches?

A: They want to look like their mom.
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maxsolomon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:53 PM
Response to Original message
3. i used to wonder why they all had moustaches
maybe most guys w/ bald spots are going for shaved heads these days? or it's cooler with the stupid hats they have to wear.

either way, i'm not seeing that in Seattle at least.
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RedCappedBandit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:54 PM
Response to Original message
5. Hair gets in the way
that's why I keep mine buzzed
But I'm not a cop..
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Vickers Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:54 PM
Response to Original message
6. Just to fuck with you.

:thumbsup:
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Zywiec Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 02:13 PM
Response to Reply #6
36. +1 n/t
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rcrush Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:54 PM
Response to Original message
7. Less wind resistance while they are kicking your ass.
And no bangs to get in their eyes while they are tazering you.
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wininboy Donating Member (111 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:55 PM
Response to Original message
8. Hair can be grabbed in a fight
and it's hot out on the streets
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JDPriestly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 03:07 PM
Response to Reply #8
39. Yes, hair can get caught on things, can be pulled, shows how old you are,
permits easier identification. There are all sorts of practical reasons.
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LanternWaste Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:55 PM
Response to Original message
9. At least in TX...
Edited on Fri Aug-07-09 12:55 PM by LanternWaste
At least in TX, pretty much anyone who works outdoors (cops, EMT's, Firefighters, Street Crews, Garbage Collections, Postal Carriers, et.al.) wear their hair as short as possible for obvious reasons.
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provis99 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:56 PM
Response to Original message
10. don't Nazi skinhead-types usually have shaved heads?
Seems the Nazi skinhead look is appropriate for cops.
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udbcrzy2 Donating Member (572 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:07 PM
Response to Reply #10
12. Now, that's what I'm talkiin' bout
Edited on Fri Aug-07-09 01:12 PM by udbcrzy2
Well, that's what it reminds me of - NAZI

I've been watching videos of the protests at the town halls and the 'nazi' looking officers
arresting people. There they are in groups (the cops) and have their haircuts.

http://videos.stltoday.com/p/video?id=5489769

http://videos.stltoday.com/p/video?id=5490381

See what I mean? Wonder if the female officers are jealous? LOL

But, if I have any trouble they will be the first ones I will call:)
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Echo In Light Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:14 PM
Response to Reply #12
17. I've worn navel length hair most of my life, and yrs ago associated shaved w/"skins"
...but not really anymore. I find it to be an odd choice of hair style, and suspect the 'low maintenance' angle may be used as often as it is when a man simply doesn't want to come right and say he thinks it makes him appear more masculine/tough. However, so far as I can tell it really only embodies that characteristic due to military and/or skinheads - and not all skinheads are the loose cannon/violent types, so...
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NoPasaran Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:18 PM
Response to Reply #12
21. Don't know why
Most REAL nazis had full heads of hair. These skinhead punk nazis are just a bunch of poseurs.
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Posteritatis Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:10 PM
Response to Reply #10
13. Therefore, all men are Socrates. (nt)
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bridgit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:27 PM
Response to Reply #13
23. Oh lord yes don'cha just know: all men *are* Socrates, when they're off the clock however...
They're Cassandra too!
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mainer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:00 PM
Response to Original message
11. scabies?
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Pavulon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:12 PM
Response to Original message
14. When fighting with drunk assholes or bad people, hair pulling
is not a good thing. No hair no hair for BG to pull.
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udbcrzy2 Donating Member (572 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:13 PM
Response to Reply #14
16. Good Point - Female Officers are pretty much screwed then
Edited on Fri Aug-07-09 01:22 PM by udbcrzy2
n/t
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Pavulon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:28 PM
Response to Reply #16
26. Most have short or "up" hair
at least the officers I see.
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DefenseLawyer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:13 PM
Response to Original message
15. It is part of an unfortunate trend in law enforcement
which is the militarization of police departments. Many police officers seem to see themselves as warriors in a combat zone instead of members of the communities they serve. This mentality is particularly fostered among drug enforcement units and swat teams. It's pretty unhealthy, in my opinion.
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udbcrzy2 Donating Member (572 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:16 PM
Response to Reply #15
19. My neighbor is a cop
He has no hair and is also in the guard (retiring soon)

Maybe they cannot get jobs either other than with the police because of the economy.

Maybe it's because when they do retire they will then grow hair and no one will recognize them?

I dunno...
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Echo In Light Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:17 PM
Response to Reply #15
20. Undeniable.
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Pavulon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:30 PM
Response to Reply #15
27. Having a drunk asshole use your hair during a fight
is the reason most police keep short hair.
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DefenseLawyer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:38 PM
Response to Reply #27
31. I'm sure that is the case for some
It is also possible to keep your hair short enough that it can't be pulled without sporting a "military" haircut (shaved on the sides, very short on top). There are plenty of officers and departments that pattern themselves after and emulate military units and the haircuts are the least of it. You can believe that or not believe that at your leisure. I deal with these folks every day.
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Pavulon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:41 PM
Response to Reply #31
32. Many are ex military and adhere to grooming standards
enforced by the military or their departments. Many do NOT shave their heads. some are just balding. (i work with guys who do this and have never been leo or military) Many guys i served with were full time LEO as well as guardsmen. It is all perception though, if you want to see the police in a certain way you will. An officers hair style has never come up in my interactions with any police department.
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DefenseLawyer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:49 PM
Response to Reply #32
33. No question there is a lot of cross over
between service in the military and service as police officers. The problem is, while they are and should be very different jobs (being a soldier and being a cop) many police officers, as I said before see themselves as warriors in a combat zone. This isn't my "perception" based on how they look, it is my conclusion based upon their actions, attitudes and statements made in the course of their jobs. What is your profession, if I may ask, that brings you to interact with police officers?
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Pavulon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:56 PM
Response to Reply #33
34. I served with 2 guys
who were patrolmen. One is now a federal officer the other is retired (married a very rich woman). Normal guys. I live in a small(ish) town and interact with the police on occasion. As a student (18 years ago) I never had problems with them when they showed up at my house at 2am for noise, Raleigh police seemed to understand the whole NC State student thing. I live in a college town and the police seem to go out of their way to not bust balls with kids.

I have met a few who were jerks but that is life.

I am currently an Materials Engineer and do not interact with police as part of my job.
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udbcrzy2 Donating Member (572 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 02:52 PM
Response to Reply #33
38. Unemployed - just an observer of the town hall videos
n/t
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bridgit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:14 PM
Response to Original message
18. Hygiene, low maintenance, esprit de corp...lots of people shave their heads...
The G&L saloon we drink in has many folks with shaved heads of all genders but nobody questions their "skin head look", nor the multi-colored bangers that oppress their neighborhoods in ways the police are less unable http://cbs5.com/local/sacramento.baby.gunpoint.2.1117425.html

My thought is that you're trying to draw a line from the police-state oppressions of Hitler's Nazi Germany to police entities here in the states and I am not so sure it's as easy to do so by ref'ing the shaved heads of cops
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monmouth Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:23 PM
Response to Original message
22. They want to look like Bruce Willis???...n/t
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bridgit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:28 PM
Response to Reply #22
25. Moby?
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juno jones Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:36 PM
Response to Reply #22
29. The singer from Morcheeba?
Edited on Fri Aug-07-09 01:37 PM by juno jones
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greguganus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:27 PM
Response to Original message
24. Less DNA evidence left on the bodies. n/t
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yesphan Donating Member (295 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:35 PM
Response to Original message
28. A lot of these cops
probably go along to get along. That Fraternal Order thing. A lot of the male cops (some female too)
in my town pump up their arms as big as they can and roll up their sleeves. This is probably a see what I got thing for each other and an intimidation thing for the rest of us.

I started shaving my head several years ago while I was training for an Ironman event and just kept the look. Save big on hair care products.
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silverweb Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 01:36 PM
Response to Original message
30. They don't. Not where I live, anyway.
Maybe you just live in skinhead country.

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JitterbugPerfume Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 02:12 PM
Response to Original message
35. makes them look tough?
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elocs Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 02:17 PM
Response to Original message
37. "Most" cops have shaved heads? This is based on what, your personal observation?
This is the same kind of logic used by freepers about healthcare who claim their cousins in Canada hate the healthcare so that is proof that "most" Canadians don't like their healthcare system.
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damntexdem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 03:15 PM
Response to Original message
40. Why do firefighters wear red suspenders?
I don't see many cops with shaved heads -- and I live in a red state.
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