Washington:
Sikh men wearing turbans can now serve Washington police, a senior police official of the American capital announced on Wednesday. Washington DC police Chief Cathy Lanier also said that according to a new uniform policy, Sikh police officers will be allowed to keep other religious items while on the job.
The move makes Washington DC police the first major metropolitan police department in the US to permit Sikhs to maintain their articles of faith.
The new policy, developed after consultations with the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF), states that Sikh officers can wear turbans of the same colour as their uniform. The turbans are required to carry the department badge. Male Sikh officers will also be able to keep beards. Other officers are allowed to grow beards only if they have sought special permission from the department.
Lanier said "this is a common-sense decision" as it is hard to find qualified officers for the job. "So it is practical to accommodate candidates who would otherwise be fit for the job," she added.
Among the approximately 3,800 police officers in Washington, there are barely any Sikhs. However, a Sikh who will graduate from the Washington Police Academy in August plans to become a reserve officer, and has requested the accommodation, Lanier said.
"This first of a kind guidance by one of the nation's premier law enforcement agencies serves as a model for other agencies across the country." said Jasjit Singh, the Executive Director of SALDEF.
In other parts of the country, Sikhs have had to fight for religious accommodations, he said, noting that nine years ago, some members of the Sikh community, wanting to become traffic enforcement officers, sued New York City over the contentious matter.
In the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Sikhs can serve in the reserves but not as full-time officers.
There are about 700,000 Sikhs in the US, according to SALDEF.