Sikh police officers in British police forces have demanded that special bulletproof turbans be developed for their use while serving in firearms units.
Sikh police officers in British police forces have demanded that special bulletproof turbans be developed for their use while serving in firearms units.
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The demand has been made by the newly-formed British Police Sikh Officers Association, whose members believe that the usual safety helmets do not fit on their turbans.
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Inspector Gian Singh Chahal, vice-chairman of the body which represent an estimated 2,000 Sikhs serving the British police force, said the Home Office needed to make provision for Sikhs and recognise that they had a role to play.
He told the Police Review journal, "Sikh officers have been prohibited from becoming firearms officers because our religion does not allow us to remove the turban."
Chahal said some research had been conducted into producing a ballistic material for turbans,and the association would like to follow any opportunity where such a product could be manufactured out of synthetic fibre.
If this material is developed and introduced in the police forces, he said it would ensure a certain degree of protection to Sikh officers, who could then take part in duties involving firearms.
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He said, "I think there needs to be a recognition from the Home Office that would allow Sikh officers to carry out these roles. I think the will is there from chief constables but perhaps not yet from the Home Office." Sikhs do not have to wear crash helmets under the Motorcycle Crash Helmets (Religious Exemption) Act 1976.
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