EDMONTON – The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has approved the option for Muslim women in the force to wear a police-issued hijab headscarf while in uniform.
While the EPS does not currently have any officers requesting to wear the hijab, it hopes the move will better reflect the changing diversity in the community and encourage more Muslim women to consider policing as a career.
“Regardless of race, culture, religion, or sexual orientation, it is important that anyone who has a calling to serve and protect Edmontonians, and passes the rigorous recruitment and police training standards, feel welcome and included in the EPS,” said EPS Superintendent Kevin Galvin, representing the Chief’s Muslim Community Liaison Committee.
As there were no police-issued hijabs already designed, the Equity, Diversity and Human Rights Unit (EDHRU) and the EPS Tactics Training Unit developed a prototype with the assistance of a hijab tailor. From there, the prototype went through “rigorous testing,” EPS said.
READ MORE: Edmonton Police Service working to incorporate hijab into uniform
Officers say the headscarf was designed to be simple, unobtrusive and easily removed. The headscarf does not pose any risk to the officer wearing it, or reduce officer effectiveness, the EPS added.
The hijab prototype met the requirements of Occupational Health and Safety, and the professional standards of EPS Dress and Deportment. The hijab covers the head and neck, but not the face.