Rejected by local Sheriff's Office for my military tattoo..

LCPLPunk · Post by **LCPLPunk** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:04 pm

Howdy all..

I live in Orlando and have been trying to get on with the Orange County Sheriff's Office for almost a year now. I applied last January, completed the state CJ basic abilities test, video test, swim test, physical abilities test, voice-stress analysis and the background investigation, but was stopped when they found out I have a visible tattoo on my right forearm. I was put on hold for decision at the end of May 2007 and just found out yesterday that I was given a final no.

Now, some of you may think that there were other reasons for not hiring me, i.e. drug use, education, past history, etc..well, let me tell you a little bit about myself..

Graduated from high school in 2000, joined the Army at 17 and served for four years. Deployed for one year in the sandbox and received numerous awards and my honorable discharge. After I got out I went to college for Criminal Justice, where I recieved my BS in CJ in three years with an overall GPA of 3.7. I did some various jobs during my time in school (sales, security), and even volunteered as a Citizen on Patrol for another agency.

I don't drink, smoke, and I have NEVER tried ANY type of drug, EVER. I have had two or three speeding tickets (six and seven years ago, the worst of which was for nine or so over.

So, now that we know the background, here is my tattoo..

Discuss!

Mr Josh Zombie · Post by **Mr Josh Zombie** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:21 pm

this is exaclty why i have all 5 of my tattoos hidden. My 30something piercings i can take out if i ever have too.

Sorry for the shaft man, but that's the joys of todays society and body modification. It just happens.

jT · Post by jT » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:40 pm

time to re-enlist

Wenuden · Post by **Wenuden** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:53 pm

um... first of all, it's a grim reaper... second of all, it's an american flag. they probably don't want to run the risk of you being ultra-nationalistic (i'm sure that's not the case), and not being able to be un-bias towards immigrants or visiting foreigners.

also, i find that pretty offensive, personally. i think it's disrespectful and a desecration of the flag. if you stuck that thru my window to hand me a citation to sign, i'd file a complaint with your department before i got home.

the work looks good. hope you bought the artist a beer or two. oh yeah, and thanks for serving, even tho i don't agree with how we entered that "war".

LCPLPunk · Post by **LCPLPunk** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:51 pm

Wenuden, thanks for an honest post, makes me think.

If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change it though.

-Devil- · Post by **-Devil-** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:55 pm

i think the tattoo looks great ... and i am quite sure it has a meaning to you that most everyone else will never understand ( i know all my tattoo's do)

but on anything like that .. with this day and age ... location is everything ...

you prob could apply at a place like in arkansas or texas and may not have as much of an issue ... but it being on the forearm .. means during summer months ... the short sleeved uniform will show it off all the time ... and a lot of police forces try (tho they fail) to promote an image ...

NiteHawk · Post by **NiteHawk** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:41 pm

I'm sorry that you were denied the OCSD. That really sucks that being a patriot caused you to become disqualified...

Be thankful you were able to serve in the military though. I tried every branch and they all denied me because of my migraines.

Thank you for serving man, I wish i could have done the same.

Mopar00Neon · Post by **Mopar00Neon** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:49 pm

MCSO will hire people with tats on their forearms. Certain ones anyway. Friend of mine was just hired and has several on both arms. Theres a few people on the Dept. with them. Just have to find an agency that will allow it. Sucks that the agency you wanted wouldnt.

Haganracing · Post by **Haganracing** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:50 pm

Thats just crazy, i for one think you should get the job right from the get go with what your first post said.

Its a tattoo, its not like its doing any harm.. they could always give you a long sleeve uniform to hide it..

But other then that. Thank you very much for giving your time over seas and keeping this country free. I would love to go myself but with my heart problem and asthma.. they turned me down.

heyitsstock · Post by **heyitsstock** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:41 am

in my town... its pretty much you have to look like a biker to be a cop

catalyst · Post by **catalyst** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:05 am

If you do decide to re-up, take it from me the Navy is the only service to join, I work with mixed services, and the Navy treats thier service members the best. i.e. the least amount of bull sh*t. not to mention when your on a boat you don't have to go to the sandbox.(maybe Dubai) Boats aren't to bad now that all but subs are integrated crews, and if your married think of the benifits, early retirement, full medical dental eyesight for you, and your dependents get pretty cheap insurance.

As for tatoos I have a glove on my right hand, got it in Crete in 1998 when I was on the Enterprise.

Cbussilver01es · Post by **Cbussilver01es** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:08 am

Thats a sweet tat btw! But IMO, I think that it was wrong of them to cut you. Just because you have that tattoo, doesnt justify you as a person, or your capability to perform the job. Think of the fact that there are crooked cops taking kick backs and doing dishonest things, but they are still on the force. So for them to count you out is just wrong. Hell in my town one of the cops has his whole arm tatt'd up from shoulder to wrist, so for them to count you out is pretty unfair.

welp that my .02 cents.
Good luck

hansken_yo · Post by **hansken_yo** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:14 am

Unfortunately, most everyday employer finds it inappropriate to have visible tattoos and piercings like Opi had pointed out. I have two gold hoops in my left ear and one of my employers made me remove them (stupid ridiculous if you ask me), when I started getting tattoos I took location into consideration. Mine very rarely see the light of day in public, but then again they are for me

. Overall it sucks yo, but I like the work and it looks nice.

esteinmaier · Post by **esteinmaier** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:07 am

Keep em in short sleeves, and it's never an issue. I've got an armband, and I've never had a problem at all. Of course, I have been doing cellular for like 4 years now, but I have no problems getting promotions or anything. The customers don't see it, so it's not there.

1st gen troll · Post by **1st gen troll** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:29 am

I don't agree with such a thing at all myself, but hell I wouldn't even be able to work the Valet job I do a couple days a week for extra money with that ink.

OverDrive418 · Post by **OverDrive418** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:08 pm

The tat looks good man.
Unfortunately a lot of people get an automatic negative vibe when they see a tat. So combine that with the automatic negative vibe a lot of people get from law enforcement and you win the Double Jeopardy prize!
My brother works for a logistics company and he can't have any visible tats. He has one that just peeks out from a short sleeve and his boss gave him hell about it. It's all about image and organizations try to cater to the mass populace's conceptions of what is decent and normal.
Tats get a bad rap no matter if it's a butterfly kissing a flower or a flaming skullhead grim reaper having sex with your mom! Someone you've pulled over might get scared, think you're a fake cop, and try to haul ass or worse. Just one of those weird things in life.
Plus working in Orlando makes it even worse, you'll be scaring off all the immigrants with that thing! They'd be calling you El Blanco Muerte!

Sorry to hear about that bro, good luck.

lambostealth · Post by **lambostealth** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 4:07 pm

catalyst wrote:If you do decide to re-up, take it from me the Navy is the only service to join, I work with mixed services, and the Navy treats thier service members the best. i.e. the least amount of bull sh*t. not to mention when your on a boat you don't have to go to the sandbox.(maybe Dubai) Boats aren't to bad now that all but subs are integrated crews, and if your married think of the benifits, early retirement, full medical dental eyesight for you, and your dependents get pretty cheap insurance.

As for tatoos I have a glove on my right hand, got it in Crete in 1998 when I was on the Enterprise.

You know we are friends Cat, but I have to disagree a bit, I was in the Air force for four, and I was stationed amongst Army, and Navy, and they all hated us, and it seemed we were the only ones that smiled more often, I grew up Navy, and know that for at least 12 years of my life I saw my father pissed at the world for being Navy.......

That said, I got a room to myself (even in Tech school), the food was pretty damn good from Basic, all the way up to the enlisted mess on base. Oh, and we don't have bases like Fallon, Lemoore, or any of the others that are situated near..........nothing.

I was stationed at Nellis...Las Vegas.........yeah.

Besides that, our facilities were ALWAYS better than the bases we visited, i.e., hospitals, Exchange, mess.

Go Air Force!

catalyst · Post by **catalyst** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:32 pm

sorry for thread jack: I'll be stationed in Hawaii in the next few months, I'm happy with that.

LCPLPunk,
Ever think of going to an officer recruiter? Just a thought.

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:03 pm

dude that foking sucks, so let me get this straight, you serve your life for the country, then you become a good citizen, then you want to serve your country again, and because you have a tat on your arm to remember putting your life on the line for a meaningless war,your unable to put your life on the line again to protect your town....... only in the focking U S A . It makes me sad dude.

BTW your tat is bad ass.

rOniN · Post by **rOniN** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:11 pm

Chair Force is the way to go...if you want it easy and civilian like. Plus they get all the latest gadgets to play with. That being said, Marines are the best.

As for the tat...nice work. To me tattoos are pointless and ugly, but for many they are full of meaning and artistic.

If a cop came up to me and tried to tell me I was doing something stupid and I saw a tattoo that big I would give him less respect since in my eyes that is foolish. If it was your tattoo, I would give them more credit since I know what it stands for, but other big tattoos no dice. Thank you for your sacrifice by the way.

If I was an employer I would not hire any person with a large visible tattoo, since it would most likely offend customers.

MoxHair · Post by **MoxHair** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:28 pm

rOniN wrote: If I was an employer I would not hire any person with a large visible tattoo, since it would most likely offend customers.

Tattoos like his can be covered up with long sleeves. Which is exactly what I make my employees wear if they have visible tattoos. They've all shit bricks when I tell him that I have tattoos, since I find visible tattoos unprofessional.

Thanks for Serving and protecting this country, do I Like the tattoo? No, But I would of made you wear long sleeves if I were to employ you.

My father was a B-52 mechanic in the Air Force. Stationed on Castle, MacDill , Andrews, etc.

dblsg · Post by **dblsg** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:21 pm

placement is everything... have you considered removal?

deep1ca · Post by **deep1ca** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:38 am

I think think tattoos should be accepted in this day and age

theTeejmiester · Post by **theTeejmiester** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:31 am

sheat man that is f%^&*d up! i feel your anger though,i have several tattoos on my forarms and shoulders.none of them are offensive,my daughters names are one my forearms in script,and i have two small ones on my wrists but i get shit for it all the time,that i look like a ex con,that i am white trash,it annoys the hell outta me because i am neither,never been arrested,never in trouble with the law,i have two kids a house two cars,pay everything by myself and have had a lead position in a job that i have had for six years.but still i get shit.you have a great education and would think that you are perfect for the job.oh yeah and my brother is going into the police force here and has several tatts and they make no issue of them,its bulls%^t pure and simple.but thats america anymore the place where your free to say anything as long as it doesnt offend any of the rest of the world.then if you do,uh oh your a terrorist.

sorry just venting here,wishing i could of seen this great country 50 years ago.

J-Villa · Post by **J-Villa** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:11 am

haha the 60's would of been fun to live in...

lol i would of been a total hippie haha

jrumann59 · Post by **jrumann59** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:09 pm

deep1ca wrote:I think think tattoos should be accepted in this day and age

If "alternative" lifestyles are main stream tats can't be too far behind. That tat is bad ass but like many have said I would have put it somewhere else. Before you know boring people will be discriminated against, so in the future everyone will have to have a schtick. But don't feel bad I was denied a chance in county PD here MD because of 2 misdemeanors involving possession of alcohol, but on the bright side 2 wife beaters and 3 drunk drivers got in.