LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - Officials with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that they plan to relax restrictions surrounding tattoos and facial hair in an attempt to improve morale and recruitment numbers. Sheriff Tim Guider also said he wanted his deputies to be able to honor fallen comrades, like Sgt. Chris Jenkins.

“Deputies will soon be sporting beards and displaying some of their ink while on duty. But what won’t change is the same professional experience deputies deliver to the community,” the post said.

Guider said memorial tattoos in honor of Sgt. Chris Jenkins, a LCSO deputy that was killed in the line of duty, helped him make this decision.

“When our deputies started getting memorial tattoos for Sergeant Chris Jenkins, I knew I couldn’t ask them to cover them up and that is a gift I wanted to give them before my term is up,” Sheriff Guider said.

Sheriff Tim Guider also said he hopes the new policy will make officers more relatable to the community.

“For years I have held onto a more traditional approach when it came to tattoos and beards while in uniform,” Guider said. “But as times change and we see more and more excellent candidates applying that have visible tattoos, I’m opening my mind up to the idea that tattoo’s often reflect military service, religious beliefs, family values and fallen heroes. Professionalism is reflected in the way our deputies respond to the community, the way they speak to those they’re assisting and the way that they carry themselves in uniform. Having tasteful tattoos and neatly kept beards do not keep our deputies from being the best that they can be. I’m proud to give our folks the freedom to express themselves in a tasteful manner.”

Traditionally, LCSO deputies were required to cover tattoos and could only sport mustaches while on duty. Now, things are changing. Under the new policy, LCSO deputies will now be allowed to display arm tattoos and trimmed beards.