The New York Police Department (NYPD) will now allow Sikh officers to wear turbans and grow beards in accordance with their religious practices.
The Sikh police officials in the department can now wear their turbans instead of the traditional police cap and can grow their bear half-inch long, ABC News reported.
US lawmakers urge basketball federation to allow Sikhs to wear turbans during play
The new rules of the NYPD were announced after a graduation ceremony for new police recruits by NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill. Reports stated that for the Sikh officers in the department to wear turbans, they must seek prior approval and should wear a navy blue turban with the NYPD insignia on it.
Followers of the Sikh religion usually cover their heads with turbans and refrain from cutting their hair or shaving their beards for religious reasons.
According to the New York Police Department patrol guide, officers are not allowed to have beards and non-uniform headdresses. However, exceptions can be made for certain officers who receive a medical or religious accommodation to wear facial hair up to one millimetre in length. Before the announcement, the Sikh officers in the department had to fit their turbans underneath their caps and were not allowed to grow beards as they interfered while wearing gas masks.
The decision by the NYPD is seen as an acknowledgement of the growing number of South Asian Sikhs living in New York. The NYPD Commissioner said that around 160 Sikhs currently serve in the department.
Other law enforcement agencies in the United States also allow Sikhs to wear turbans and beards on duty. Some of the agencies include that of Washington D.C., Riverside and California. Even the United States Army allows Sikh members of their regime to have facial hair and wear religious turbans.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also allows Sikhs to wear turbans and beards. The law enforcement agency has also permitted Muslim women to wear hijabs.
