Edmonton cops told to avoid swearing

EDMONTON, Alberta, June 7 (UPI) -- The police chief in Edmonton, Alberta, says officers under his command must refrain from using foul language while on the job.

Edmonton Police Chief Mike Boyd said in a recent written directive to his officers that the use of profanity while interacting with the general public will not be tolerated, The Edmonton Journal reported Saturday.

"Positive interpersonal relations between police officers and the general public are extremely important," Boyd wrote in the notice.

Sgt. Tony Simioni, president of the Edmonton Police Association, said prior to Boyd's order, officers were allowed to use foul language in situations such as when they need to forcibly detain suspects.

Simioni told the Journal the new directive could be problematic for officers dealing with uncooperative people.

"What this does is remove the right to use it under those circumstances. That's a problem somewhat because when you're under high stress and you need to get your point across, now you can be disciplined for that," he said.