NYPD Turban Ban Will Be Challenged By New Bill, Sikh Coalition

The New York City Council passed a bill yesterday that might allow Sikh police officers to wear turbans and grow their beards.

For years a group called The Sikh Coaltion has been pressuring the NYPD to allow sikh officers to honor traditional religious practices in wearing turbans and growing out their beards while on the job and in uniform.

Sikh men are required to wear turbans, which they consider a sacred garment, but the NYPD requires its officers to follow a very strict, almost militaristic, dress code.

In 2004, two Sikh traffic enforcement agents won the right to wear turbans on the job, but the two have since left the force and after their departure and the NYPD went back to the old rules.

Sikh officers were granted permission earlier this year to wear a navy blue patka, according to the Wall Street Journal, a smaller turban traditionally worn by Sikh children, underneath their hats. The Coalition protested, however, saying they shouldn't have to dress like boys to be police officers.

The new legislation puts pressure on public and private employers, not just the NYPD, to allow their employees the freedom to follow their religious beliefs.

And as Coucilmember Mark Weprin, who sponsored the bill, explains to Gothamist, the new law doesn't explicitly require the NYPD to do anything , but it does make it more difficult for any employer, including the NYPD, to claim an employee's religious observance creates an "undue hardship."

It remains unclear how the NYPD will respond to the bill.

"It would behoove [NYPD] Commissioner [Ray] Kelly to rethink his policy and start welcoming Sikhs into our police force," Amardeep Singh, co-founder of the Coalition, told the Journal. "I would hope the bill would move him in that direction, so we don't have to litigate."

CORRECTION: The story originally identified Mark Weprin as David Weprin, who is Mark's brother and a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly.

Comments

[dbrett480]

09:11 PM on 08/24/2011

This is a slippery slope. Once one religion is allowed to be exempt from the standards, then other exemptions will be made for religious reasons. The main reason for a uniform dress code is the department wants to project a professional image of a unified law enforcement team.

While it is true that other law enforcement agencies in foreign countries have Sikhs with turbans and beards working in patrol, they are generally sent to areas that are predominately Sikh. This policy is racist and patronizing, and should NEVER be used in the US.

[escobar]

12:47 PM on 08/24/2011

Do officers need to cut their hair? Is there a dress code oh wait
there is a UNIFORM. Can others stop what they are doing to pray if their faith
demands it through out the day too ? Say, a guy directing traffic.

[been2there]

03:06 AM on 08/23/2011

Turbans, hijab, yarmulkes, kippah--all are religious symbols. If one is permitted, all must be permitted. The only exception that might fly is the very real danger to the officer if the hijab (head scarf) is grabbed in a scuffle. In Australia one PD has dealt with that by designing a break-away uniform scarf. This is a really grey area--I don't think one should have to choose between police work and religion, but on the other hand, I don't think that police, as an official presence, should give the appearance of favoritism.

[Marie Dooley]

08:52 PM on 08/21/2011

The Sikhs in India are much prized as soldiers and policemen. They all have the last name, Singh, which means "lion". They tend to live up to the moniker. The turban, knife under it and the long hair are all integral badges of the males of this religion.

[INQUISITION11]

05:53 PM on 08/21/2011

Sikhs get a free pass in UK they wear them instead of crash helmets on motorbikes or hard hats on building sites and instead of helmets in the Police.No big deal.

[Erin Scott]

04:11 PM on 08/21/2011

Thanks for the ignorance and hyperbole. It is their religious belief to cover their hair and it causes no harm or affects their jobs. Ludicrous comment.

[Jack Daniels Esq]

04:57 PM on 08/21/2011

Which is why religion is often called the cocaine of the poor

[NMLurker]

10:35 AM on 08/21/2011

"and if I perform hundreds of thousands and millions of religious rituals, still, all these are not equal to the Name of the Lord."

Guru Nanak Dev

[ninjajpbob]

10:28 PM on 08/23/2011

*Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Ji shows respect)

[LabRat]

09:55 AM on 08/21/2011

I suppose it depends on how much the NYPD needs to interact with Sikh community and get cooperation.

[Susan Shaffer]

11:31 PM on 08/20/2011

how many times have the new york police uniform changed over the last how ever many decades?
for all the people who insist that the sikhs should wear the standard uniform, try wearing a turban and get back to me if it is good for keeping your hair out of your eyes and also for keeping your head cool in a hot summer and warm in a cold winter. Actually turbans are a handy invention and can be classed up with the right fabric or made casual for working in the fields.

[Jack Daniels Esq]

03:25 PM on 08/21/2011

Must be a cool sniper target on the front line

[Inannawhimsey]

06:39 PM on 08/20/2011

Nothing is permanent except impermanence

[norepublicanleftbehind]

04:36 PM on 08/20/2011

What's next Christians with biblical scripture badges?

[norepublicanleftbehind]

04:33 PM on 08/20/2011

No. The job comes with a uniform. If your personal views interfere with job, don't take the job. Would we have this same conversation

[f0rTyLeGz]

04:20 AM on 08/21/2011

Of course. If you aren't willing to "wear the uniform," then you should find a job where you are allowed to wear your religion on your head top!

[Nick Rowley]

11:36 AM on 08/20/2011

OK what does puzzle me in all this is that people are getting het up over a bolt of fabric worn on the head, and nobody in the con camp sees fit to complain about the kirpan? Don't want to give them pointers of anything but I'd think a knife would be a better focus of worry than a head covering really.

[SoldAmerican]

09:49 AM on 08/20/2011

There are many many Sikh officers in the Indian armed forces. They have fought valiantly and defending and protected a nation.

The Canadian mounties if they are Sikh keep their beards and turban.

NYPD need to grow the freaking up.

[Jack Daniels Esq]

08:38 AM on 08/20/2011

UK had a similar problem years back - now its a toilet

[Nick Rowley]

10:07 AM on 08/20/2011

And you visited there when?

[Jack Daniels Esq]

10:24 AM on 08/20/2011

Last month

[imokit]

09:35 PM on 08/22/2011

I don't think the UK's a toilet. Did you see the pictures of the Sikhs who came out to protect their businesses in the riots. Did you see the people over there who go bankrupt due to medical bills?