The Minister of Public Security, Juan Manuel Pino, referred this Friday to the preliminary bill 075 that was enacted on Thursday in the Government Commission of the National Assembly, by which an article of the Organic Law of the National Police is modified ( PN), about the possession of tattoos for those who want to be part of their ranks.
Pino explained that the person who wants to enter the public force and has a tattoo has never been prohibited, “the only thing that has been asked of him is that he remove his tattoo and enter the public force, that is, he has not been a impediment not to enter”.
He stressed that this is a guideline that has been in place for many years, “I say it personally, I have been here since I was 17 years old, I went to study at a foreign naval school and with young people of the same age and that was a requirement that the school, and it still holds.
He stressed that this topic should be consulted and seen stealthily because what is done wrong now has repercussions in the future.
“I would not like to be responsible for a bad decision or make such a quick appointment before you or disrespect them by giving them an answer for getting out of the way. I have to respect the public security institutions because we owe it to the Panamanian population , and we are very respectful of what each person is,” Pino said.
On Thursday afternoon, the PRD deputy and president of the Government Commission, Víctor Castillo, explained that this initiative modifies article 52 and adds numeral 6 that establishes among the requirements “not to have tattoos that express values contrary to the ethical principles of the institution or related to organized crime groups”.
Castillo, who is also the proponent of this regulation, stressed that it seeks to avoid rejection and discrimination arising from the rule that establishes that people with scars and tattoos cannot join the ranks of the National Police.
The current Organic Law of the National Police does not prohibit officers from having tattoos, however, the rules and regulations of the President Belisario Porras Higher Police Institute, which is the Police Academy of Panama, do prevent it.
