West Midlands Police may let Muslim officers wear burqas and niqabs in effort to boost diversity
West Midlands Police Chief says the force would not rule out allowing female officers to wear the full-body, full-face veil
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.One of Britain's largest police forces is considering allowing Muslim officers to wear the burka while on duty in an effort to boost diversity.
West Midlands Police Chief Constable, David Thompson, said the force would not rule out allowing female officers to wear the outfit which includes a long flowing outer garment from head to toe and an Islamic veil, or niqab, that covers all facial features except the eyes.
One female officer currently being trained by the force reportedly already wears a hijab, a headscarf that covers the hair and neck.
But West Midlands Police said no officer has yet applied to wear a burka.
At a recent meeting during which diversity in the force was discussed, Chief Constable Thompson refused to rule out allowing female officers to wear the controversial veil.
He said: “We would need to consider our own rules and cultural sensitivity. Clearly we don't have any barriers relating to that (the burka).
“As it stands we have not had any approaches from potential recruits asking to wear the burka, but if such an approach was made it is something we would have to consider.
“Serving the people of the West Midlands is at the heart of what we do and I would need to carefully consider anything that could be seen as standing in the way of that relationship."
Chief Constable Thompson's comments come as West Midlands Police plans to employ 800 new officers, with the aim of ensuring 30 per cent of them come from ethnic minorities.
Currently just nine per cent of West Midlands’ 7,000 police officers are from the BME community, compared with 30 per cent of the West Midlands community as a whole.
People from ethnic minorities make up 5.5 per cent of UK police, compared with 14 per cent of the overall UK population.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments