Manama: Kuwait’s newly appointed interior ministry undersecretary has asked the police to abide by grooming policies in place, including ones on hair gel usage, haircuts permitted and beard lengths.
“We have noted that police forces have not been complying with the rules and regulations,” Sulaiman Al Fahad said.
There are practices that do not fit the status of the police, such as having long hair, using hair gel, unshaven facial hair, and growing beards without the approval of superiors and without following the length specified by the rules, he said, as quoted by local daily Al Rai on Wednesday.
Grooming compliance failures also included below standard cleanliness of uniforms and altering the uniform in an unacceptable way, he said.
“All assistant undersecretaries, general directors and their assistants are requested to inform the public forces that they should comply with the grooming policies and devote greater attention and more time to their appearance and to the uniform,” the undersecretary said.
People on social media welcomed the decision, saying that it would help reinforce the status of the police force in the country.
“We also need regulations that criminalise assaulting or attacking policemen carrying out their duty,” Bu Mohammad, a blogger, commented. “They need better protection, especially when they are abused at police stations by angry people,” he posted.
Armies and police forces throughout the world do not have a common policy towards facial hair. While some countries allow its men in uniform to grow beards, others do not allow facial hair, while other states permit them, but to a specific length.
