Russia’s Interior Ministry is cracking down on a growing number of police officers wearing skimpy uniforms.
The ministry declared all uniform modifications unacceptable in response to a growing number of women shortening their skirts, and men cutting their shirt sleeves, The Moscow Times reported Monday. They’ve also prohibited mixing uniforms with civilian clothing, and wearing wrinkled clothing.
Deputy Interior Minister Sergei Gerasimov notified department heads that taking liberties with police uniforms undermines the authority of the Interior Ministry and discredits the entire police force.
“When you meet people, the first thing you see is their clothing, and for a police officer fulfilling his duties, it is crucial to have a tidy and neat appearance,” Gerasimov said. “From time to time, we have seen instances of officers improperly wearing their uniforms. … Heads [of departments] must pay more attention to the appearance of their subordinates.”
Here’s one apparent example floating around Twitter:
First the high-heel shoe ban, now this: Russian policewomen to be disciplined for short skirts http://t.co/9eAFSm0MiJ pic.twitter.com/MkVNU0oKmn
— Lukas I. Alpert (@lalpert1) June 23, 2014
But Mikhail Pashkin, chairman of the coordination council of the police officers’ union, told Izvestia the blame for untidy uniforms lies with the Interior Ministry, because there aren’t enough dressing rooms. And he said he sees no reason to complain about shorter skirts.
“Perhaps the girls want to get married,” he said. “Incidentally, they are thinking about the demographic situation.”