No Beards

Re “Lieutenant With Beard Sues City, LAPD Chief,” Feb. 11: I read with interest your story on the LAPD lieutenant who cannot be promoted to captain unless he shaves off his beard.

I infer that every higher officer in the department, if male, performs a daily body-modification ritual before his bathroom mirror, designed to make him look as much as possible like a 12-year-old boy.

I urge the LAPD to drop this bizarre fixation and proudly to accept the fact that its officers have, in fact, been through puberty.

MIKE OLIVER

Los Angeles