End Turban Ban

[jessemalik]

Send a message to Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner Police Department (NYPD)

http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailnypd.html

NYPD'S RULES ON UNIFORMS

End turban ban

May 3, 2004

Amric Singh Rathour and Jasjit Singh Jaggi share more than name and religion. The devout Sikh men wanted to be New York City traffic agents so much that they sought legal redress to wear banned turbans with their uniforms.

An administrative law judge ruled in Jaggi's favor last week, so it's time for the New York Police Department to accept that turban-wearing Sikhs won't compromise public safety while exercising their constitutionally protected right to religious expression.

Jaggi quit after refusing to shave his beard and discard his turban, tenets of the faith. He filed a discrimination complaint with the city human rights commission. Rathour, who didn't get past probation, filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit, which is pending.

It didn't take a trip to federal court for City Administrative Law Judge Donna Merris to recommend to the local human rights commission that Jaggi be reinstated and allowed to wear his turban on duty. The ruling is hardly surprising, given that there's nothing sacrosanct about the regulation white, eight-point hats worn by these unarmed civilians who write tickets and direct traffic.

The NYPD's argument that Jaggi "must wear the white eight-point hat for safety and recognizability is suspect," the judge wrote. That's because the agents wear nondescript black leather caps in the winter that don't seem to cause confusion.

Canadian police offi

cials resolved this issue long ago with department-issued turbans, badges affixed to the front. It's that simple. But not for NYPD police officials, who'd rather waste taxpayer money defending the indefensible.

Human rights official should heed the judge's recommendation and the NYPD should forget about an appeal. It's not worth the trouble.

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vps...rials-headlines