NEW YORK (AP) – Police departments are relaxing traditional grooming standards and getting away from rules that used to require a uniformly clean-shaven, 1950s look.

That’s because there’s a national hiring crisis and departments are seeking a more diverse applicant pool.

That means more officers are on the job with tattoos inked on their forearms, beards on their chins or religious head coverings like hijabs and turbans in place of – or tucked beneath – their blue caps.

Muslim New York Police Officer Masood Syed filed a lawsuit last year after he was suspended for having a long beard. The department changed its policy as a result.