White cop with cornrows pulled from street duty

[Liberal_in_LA]

Cop with cornrows pulled from street duty

By DANA DiFILIPPO
Philadelphia Daily News



To get booted off the street, a police officer has to do something pretty serious - like shoot a suspect or be accused of brutality.

But in the 35th District, which covers Logan, Olney and adjacent neighborhoods, apparently a hairdo will do it.

A cop who got cornrows was ordered off the street and kept on desk duty for two days until he cut his braids off, sources said.

While dozens of black officers across the city wear cornrows, Officer Thomas Strain is white. So when the five-year veteran showed up for work Sept. 3 with the traditionally black hairstyle, it didn't take long for his colleagues - or his bosses - to notice.

"They pulled him out of roll call and took him right up to the inspector's office," said an officer who asked to remain anonymous.

----------------------------------

"It's absolutely discriminatory," said one officer. Strain's cornrows 'do "was neat. It was above his collar. It's not like he shaved a Nazi sign or something anti-black or anti-Hispanic on his head. It's just cornrows. I don't know what the problem is."

The problem, police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said, is that Strain's superior didn't feel his cornrows were "professional."


http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/59967627.html

[Bicoastal]

1. And yes, Glenn Beck, if you're trolling...

OBAMA'S BEHIND THIS TOO! HE'S BEHIND EVERYTHING!

A-BOOGITY-BOOGITY-BOOGITY!

[Rick Myers]

2. What, they don't havve hats!!!

Jeebus Crispies...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Prediction:

Somebody's going to say something really stupid before this thread is through.

[GrantDem]

4. +1

[eleny]

6. I should hope so

It's a tradition. }(

[BlooInBloo]

61. Susan Boyle.

[NOLALady]

5. Wanna share?

:popcorn:

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Well if they allow african American officers to wear them

there is a lawsuit to be had, for yes discrimination.

Otherwise, they are right. Police Departments do have grooming standards.

Hell when I was a young EMT we had one of our cadets show up with nice purple head... he had his head shaved...

See grooming standard.

[paulsby]

30. that is correct

my agency doesn't allow cornrows PERIOD. but if they allow them for black officers and not for white officers, the officer will prevail in his grievance.

[donheld]

8. Is this the regular police or Fashion Police?

[imdjh]

9. I can't believe that I am the only one who wants to know who cornrowed Strain's hair.

And I think that the police supervisor should have had more sense than to get lured into this debate.

[imdjh]

10. Never fall asleep first at the PBA hall.

[patrick t. cakes]

11. eeek gads!

talk about unprofessional.
this is allowed on police forces?

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[imdjh]

13. Dreads don't really flatter anyone.

Let's face it, they are matts of hair. They are nasty looking, and when I see them all I can think about is how difficult it must be to wash that mess.

[proteus_lives]

19. They don't.

Dreadlocks require unwashed and filthy hair. It's a disgusting style.

[Liberal_in_LA]

24. No, dreads are washed. To create the dreads hair has to tangle, but it doesn't have to be dirty

Very curly hair will tangle naturally, sraight hair requires rubber bands or something to hold the ends until the hair tangles.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[skypilot]

67. dreadlock wearer here.

Thanks for that. I can tell you that dreadlocks "require" no such thing. DU is just so charming anymore.

[Liberal_in_LA]

74. you never know which direction a thread will take.

[skypilot]

80. Indeed.

Check out post #3. That guy called it--and then some.

[LeftyMom]

23. A young teenager I know has relatively short, tight dreads. They look great.

[Jennicut]

35. These aren't dreads. They are braids.

This is dreads:



The cop had cornrows, which are braids.

Not too into the dreads but I love the cornrows.

[AspenRose]

56. Um, okay. That's your opinion.

You should broaden your concept of what locs look like, however. I happen to love mine. And yes I wash my hair. AND I'm not the only one here at DU with locs, either.

[imdjh]

57. I'll see your models with their pretty (probably fake) hair and raise you two street urchins.

[AspenRose]

59. You said you thought locs weren't flattering. I showed examples of how they can be.

Anyone who doesn't take care of their hair will look like a train wreck, whether their hair is loc'd or not. It's not the locs, it's the lack of care and maintenance.

That last picture is jazz singer Cassandra Wilson. Her hair is not fake, and neither is mine. To even assume their hair is fake shows your ignorance.

[imdjh]

60. OK, grudgingly.

I suppose it was inevitable for a VERSION of dreads to go mainstream and fashion heavy, but until this point "dreads" was not something one associated with models, Jherri Redding, or good grooming.

[xultar]

95. And they don't call them Dreads anymore. They call them Locs

[imdjh]

101. How unhip of me.

[Huskerchub]

89. why don't you go somewhere

else and spew your fucking garbage. You've made 2 very offensive comments about people already on this post. If you don't like the way others look, don't fucking look.

[xultar]

94. Well seriously. You are using this as evidence? PHULEEZ.

[blondeatlast]

99. His jeans are ugly too, so we should no longer allow jeans on anyone? nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

73. lovely

[xultar]

93. Thanks for posting this and educating some folk on this dayum board.

[xultar]

92. They can be very pretty. You have such a narrow view.

[AspenRose]

97. I dare ANYONE here to tell Toni Morrison her hair is filthy.

Locked and loaded, baby. :hi:

[rocktivity]

14. Why are cornrows "professional" enough for blacks but not whites?

I'm willing to bet that a black female officer who regularly straightens her "kinky" hair does not fit their definition of "unprofessional."


rocktivity

[Hoopla Phil]

21. And THAT will be the primary question at during the civil trial. This officer I'm

sure is planning on early retirement.

[Hosnon]

65. I agree. This was silly a thing for the police department to do. nt.

[patrick t. cakes]

15. would anyone take this guy serious with that hair style?

or any cop for that matter.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. Why not?

[patrick t. cakes]

41. same reason i wouldnt take a cop with a mohawk serious.

regardless of the history of either hairstyle, police work in the public sector and
their appearance should reflect that. they should conform to the norms of society

while in uniform. their not here to display any types of fashions.

whatever a cop does on their free time, have at it, but on the clock
their paid to look, and hopefully, act the part.

[Last Stand]

91. Begs the question: where does a respectable haircut stop and a strange one begin?

Pink hair, mohawk, spiked...

different strokes for different, well, cops.

[Gwendolyn]

17. Yes, I absolutely love it. The Mr. Clean bald look has run its course...

... except among MMA guys. This is one of those looks that suits a lot of people, it's tidy, and cute.

[cabluedem]

18. I dont take cops with non-military tats seriously. They look like thugs. nt

[Raineyb]

77. They are thugs

You prefer to be surprised by the thuggishness?

[proteus_lives]

96. Broad-brush!

Just wrap that bigotry around like a warm coat.

[Raineyb]

110. Yawn!

The difference between them and the thugs on the street are the badges. Kiss their ass at your peril. I shan't.

[proteus_lives]

111. Hah!

I never said anything about kissing ass. I merely advise against judging whole groups of people.

But since you brought it up, I would put $20 on you turning into a meek little thing whenever one is within 15 feet of you.

[Raineyb]

113. And a loser gambler to boot

You're a real winner aren't you?

I don't put up with shit from the cops and I don't much care to put up with shit from the likes of you either.

When the cops get their assholes in line and stop acting as though the laws only apply to people they don't like, we can have a conversation. In the meantime, I'll judge them based on the asshole behavior they allow to pass, the crimes they get away with, and the excessive force they use and treat them appropriately.

Unlike race or sexual orientation, a vocation is something one chooses. Treating it like race or creed is asinine.

[proteus_lives]

114. I agree, you're an internet toughie.

But by your statements you're still judging an entire group. You don't know that they are all assholes, commit crimes or use excessive force. You're still being ruled by your bias. You have no facts to back up your stereotypes. (Before you bust out the list of bad cops, let it be known that anyone could respond with a list of bad members of any profession) The simple fact is you can't judge an entire profession because you don't have personal and true knowledge of every member.

It's not about being something you choose, it's about stereotyping an entire profession. Are all lawyers ambulance-chasers? Are all doctors HMO-whacks? Are all loggers huge mountain men? Are all pilots drunks? Are all Catholic priests child molesters? Stereotyping is unbecoming, work on it.

[Divine Discontent]

20. well well well.. let your prejudices run WILD! I bet you think anyone with anything but 'standard'

hair, (which whatever you consider "normal" and "acceptable" is) is laughable????

Is that what you're saying?

That since you can't take him "serious" that you'd laugh at his HAIR???

Dude...

nice prejudice.

Based on THIS alone, I bet you mock overly fun loving gay boys who hug & kiss, or a teen girl with black fingernails and a nose ring? Who cares what people have or look like if what they DO or SAY is polite and upstanding in society?

[imdjh]

43. I think you are arguing philosophy against reality.

Put little beads on the ends of those corn rows, or little bows. Does that look like an authority figure to you? A police officer?

I'm with you on the "should be" thing, but depart from you on the "what is" thing.

[zonkers]

22. Frankly, I would take a cop with that hair style very seriously.

[positrac]

82. Same here, I'd think "that guy is nuts enough to shoot me for no reason"

...

[RobinA]

103. I Don't Take

any white person with corn rows seriously. I'm white. I have never seen a white person look presentable in braids. All that shiny white scalp showing through, thin stringy braids... Eeewwww.

[imdjh]

42. Now that is a valid issue. It doesn't fit into our tidy idea of egalitarianism, which is why ....

.... it's interesting.

This doesn't even have to be about race. It could be about sex. A women's hairstyle (like a wedge) may conform to police grooming standards, not detract from her authority at all, but on a male police officer the same hairdo would make him look like he has a woman's hairstyle and detract from his authority.

[Raineyb]

69. Why not?

I'd take him as seriously as I'd take any other cop.

[JonQ]

70. Because he's got a gun

and the backing of other people with guns.

But I agree, this doesn't exactly scream professional competence. I would think that the standards should be the same for every cop though, so it's either ok for him and everyone else, or not ok for anyone.

[Zix]

78. What's wrong with it? It looks okay to me...

What a weird thing to say. (?)

[undeterred]

25. White guys don't look good with cornrows or shaved heads.

Its a fact. But the only reason this should be prohibited is if his motivation is racist.

[ingac70]

26. cornrows look nasty, no matter what the race. n/t

[miyazaki]

27. you got that right. and fuck that tattoo bullshit also.

:kick:

[imdjh]

45. I've always thought cornrows were very tidy and clean looking. But weren't they once for women only?

I don't recall seeing men with corn rows until fairly recently (like the 1980's) when Stevie Wonder came out and surprised everyone with his new hair.

[Zix]

66. I think they look really nice.

I think they look really tidy and smart. I've no idea what's going in this thread. Truthfully.

[paulsby]

31. that would never fly

you cannot prohibit a haircut for that reason. it would get laughed out of court and the cop (and union) would win. it comes down to this. if cornrows are prohibited then that's fine. but if SOME officers are allowed cornrows, and others aren't, the cop will prevail. period. there are exceptions to grooming standards as well for medical reasons, fwiw. but that's another issue (beards on men who have a certain skin condition for example are allowed).

[vadawg]

105. yup, the only time we can get cornrows, or dreads or similar is when we are working narc

or vice etc, though the funniest are the fed undercovers, the goatees always give them away...

[paulsby]

108. well, the fbi guys always look pretty square

the running joke is that the FBI has an affirmative action program for mormon accountants from utah.

it's true though, as soon as a guy gets sent to vice or undercover, he starts growing the obligatory goatee.

[bigwillq]

40. WHAT?

:shrug:

I have a shaved head and I think I look damn good! :)

[undeterred]

44. Sorry.

Let me amend that to say that shaved heads look better on black guys than white guys.

[bigwillq]

48. You know what., I agree with your statement.

But some white guys can pull it off. :)

[undeterred]

50. Michael Jordan was the first man I remember

shaving his head. Looked very good on him. If you're white it helps to have a good looking head that is not too pale or bumpy. If I lost my hair I'd get a bunch of those scarves.

:hi:

[Javaman]

49. Bullshit.

that is probably one of the most colossally ignorant opinions I have ever heard in my entire life.

[JuniperLea]

71. Your broad brush sucks, and here's just two examples...

I know a lot of women who are mad about the bald dudes... skin color in this case, as with MOST cases, makes not one iota of difference.

[AspenRose]

83. Who loves ya, baby?

[JuniperLea]

87. I'm tellin' ya!

Bald men of any color can be hot! My b/f's sister is mad about 'em;)

This thread has been a real learning experience... wow.

[Zix]

84. Well, no. It's not really a fact, is it? Really its a matter of aesthetics.

Just so I know - what was the value of making this essentially indefensible post on an Internet message board?

[undeterred]

102. Am I the only person here who is not allowed

to express an opinion? You're right, it is a matter of aesthetics. I read posts about mens opinions on female bodies here all the time. Seems that some of the men here are so thin-skinned that they can dish it out but not take it.

[verges]

109. Try to picture

Yul Brenner or Telly Sevalas with hair.

[MrScorpio]

28. A white guys with cornrows?

What's the problem? I think it's funny

[hedgehog]

37. Lots of us Irish have hair kinky enough to make dreads or to corn row.

Matter of fact, my sister had a hell of time in high school trying to find a good looking style because she had no idea there was such a thing as hair straightener.

[imdjh]

47. We've always suspected you for that, too.

Signed,

The Scots

[BumRushDaShow]

29. "While dozens of black officers across the city wear cornrows"

??? I have never seen any Philadelphia police officers with cornrows. If true, "dozens" is just nonsense out of 7000 officers.

[seabeyond]

36. i agree. i want the for real on this cause i am not buying it. never seen a cop

in cornrows, ever.... all the years.

[HamdenRice]

32. Paging BO DEREK! nt

[Karenina]

55. And HERE SHE IS!!!

[AspenRose]

58. David Beckham.

I think if this particular cop was doing undercover work, he would fit in just fine. I don't see what the fuss is about.

[Gwendolyn]

62. Don't get the fuss either. It's a great look!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

68. OK. You just changed my mind.

[Festivito]

33. Perhaps it is Strains "superiors" that are themselves unprofessional.

If they allow black people to wear it that way, then they have based their decision on skin color -- not professional.

If they fear the public, then it's time for a meeting with the public. Time to grow up.

[Curtland1015]

34. I think cornrows in general are absolutely ridiculous looking.

But if this guy likes 'em, let him wear them.

[Raineyb]

79. Nice to know how many people find small black children ridiculous looking n/t

[AspenRose]

86. Hell, I've seen little white girls with cornrows in the summer. They look fine.

:hi:

[Blue_Tires]

38. i predict the force is just going to ban braids for all uniformed officers...

[LWolf]

39. wtf

"Not professionsl" for white officers, but "professional" enough for black.

What are black officers saying about this?

I find his union's statement to be offensive. They are neutral? Really?

[AspenRose]

88. That's really the crux of the matter.

[redqueen]

51. I had no idea people were so hung up on superficial bullshit.

Not the PD (they have to sort out their standards obviously)... but some of these responses... :wtf:

[jonnyblitz]

53. NO KIDDING!!! DUers want their cops to look like Mormon

missionaries. :o

[Moochy]

54. The New DU Review

Summarizing this thread's anti-cornrose posse:
"cornrows look nasty"
"i would laugh at a cop with beads in his hair"
"I'm a racist ballbag"

Oh wait that last one was just the subtext.

[Bunny]

63. So if I think cornrows look nasty, I'm a 'racist ballbag'?

Seriously? Because I do think cornrows look nasty, and stupid, and that goes for blacks and whites. Oddly enough, I rather like dreadlocks. I think tattoos are stupid, too, by the way. Have a characterization for that? :eyes:

[Karenina]

100. Superficial, judgmental nastiness... oh wait

you forgot the :sarcasm: tag!11!! ;-) Or NOT! "Are you a boy or a girl? With all the long-hairs around here these days, it's gettin' hard to tell!" (Quote circa 1968 British long-hair INVASION!!!) :rofl:

[JuniperLea]

75. I thought I had read that last one too...

But no, I was only filling in the thought bubble of someone here... never mind.

[CBR]

76. I thought cornrows were pretty standard. I had my

brown,straight, thin hair in cornrows twice. My husband had dreads for a period and they looked great.

[Moochy]

52. Who knew DU had so many Segregationist Coiffureurs!

:shrug:

"I only follow orders from cops with hairstyles I like."

[elana i am]

64. well i've always considered any kind of plait

hairstyle to be for little girls, brides and horses, but whatever floats his boat.

typically the rules are neat and not touching the collar. i'd say it qualifies (even if it would look better on a 6 year old girl or a horse).

[JonQ]

72. Just set a length limit and be done with it

quarter inch max for everyone. Have fun.

[LanternWaste]

81. I honestly thought I was DU's resident prude...

I honestly thought I was DU's resident prude, but after reading this thread, I'm now convinced otherwise. :shrug:

But on the other hand, I'm merely old-fashioned rather than intolerant and judgmental...

[Zix]

85. It's as if someone secretly PM'd half of these people for a "ludicrous, indefensible post" party.

It just the thread that keeps on giving...

[Ikonoklast]

90. Very simple answer to this.

Matters not if his 'superiors' don't like his hairstyle, whatever it may be.

If it is allowed for other officers, and was never commented on or disciplinary action taken against them for their hair style, then it is allowed for this officer.


If other officers came into work with a purple mohawk, and no one said a thing about them, then taking action against this one officer for wearing the very same hairstyle is discriminatory.

Seems to be someone is going to win his grievance.

[votingupstart]

98. white/black/purple with green pok-a-dots - if others were allowed and he was not = discrimination.

/thread

[BuyingThyme]

104. Had he been born a woman they wouldn't have said a thing.

[lib2DaBone]

106. Non Issue. Can I have his Salary while they debate this? I need a job...

[agentS]

107. I'm not a fan of cops, but this action is still wrong

Based on what I've seen of the Philly's dress code standards for hair, cornrows are acceptable. They don't interfere with wearing the officer hat so on the basis of rules alone there should be no problem.
OK, they're a little tacky on him, but still...

If the officer in question is yelling at you to "get down! Incoming fire!" are you gonna stop and laugh at his rows? If so, you deserve to be shot by the crazy Republican mass shooter the officer just warned you about.

[burning rain]

112. Have to suspect the dept. just doesn't like cornrows....

but figures Well, grrrr, we have to allow it for blacks since it's a popular black hairstyle, but damned if we're gonna let anyone else do it. I doubt that'll fly. In these United States you pretty much have to be able to cite religious reasons to get away with discriminations like that--racial or cultural reasons won't do.

For my own part, I only like to see cornrows on women--too pretty for guys, in my view. But that sure as hell doesn't mean I want to force a needless rule on other folks.