Durango, Colo., police now allowed to have goatees

[March 15, 2011]  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) -- Full beards are still banned, but police in the Colorado mountain town of Durango are now allowed to have goatees, though the department won't say why the change was made.

The Durango Herald reports that several officers, including the chief, have been sporting the fuzzier look since the new policy took effect Dec. 17. The Colorado State Patrol, Los Angeles Police Department and some other agencies bar its officers from having either beards or goatees. The newspaper obtained the details of the new policy through an open-records request. Police chief David Felice didn't respond to requests for comment. [Associated Press] Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.