Why are the fuzz so fuzzy?

Focuses on the need to reinforce group identity. Why cops continue to wear mustache according to social historian Steven Zdatny; How people build social cohesiveness.

By Jasmine Fox, published on January 01, 1999

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A mustache can seem as much a part of a policeman's uniform as a badge andrevolver. The need to reinforce group identity explains why cops cling to an outdated fashion, social historian Steven Zdatny, Ph.D., of West Virginia University suggests. People tend to adopt modes of dress and grooming as a way of building social cohesiveness, he says, and for today's cops, "facial hair is just part of the package."