Coventry police officers could wear burka to "reflect the community"

West Midlands Police's chief constable said the force would consider requests from officers to wear the burka



Female police officers in Coventry and the West Midlands could be given permission to wear the burka if they ask to do so.

The move by West Midlands Police is part of a bid to recruit more officers from black and ethnic minority communities to “reflect the community we serve”.

A burka is a long, loose garment covering the whole body from head to feet and is worn in public by some Muslim women.

Hijabs, which usually cover the head and chest, are already allowed by police forces in Scotland and the Metropolitan Police in London first allowed the item more than a decade ago.

But it was understood that no serving UK officers currently wear the burka on duty.

Chief Constable David Thompson said: “We would need to consider our own rules and cultural sensitivity. We don’t have any barriers relating to 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.”

About 1,100 new vacancies have been advertised by West Midlands Police and around 800 of the posts will be police officers.

The force already allows alterations to be incorporated into the standard uniform for some religions, such as Sikhs wearing a turban instead of normal force headgear.

Bosses want 30 per cent of new recruits to come from black and ethnic minorities to reflect the wider West Midlands community.

Currently, about nine per cent of West Midlands Police officers are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Mr Thompson added: “What’s important here is that we reflect the community we serve. We’ve already taken significant steps with a third of our current recruits from BME backgrounds but there’s far more to be done.”

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=noddy ... L0t3TM%3Al

Totally wrong.

Can't see a problem with it myself as long as they're clearly identified as police.

This one is in Scotland:

All sorts of different immigration over the ages have come here to live yet this is the only culture thats out to change our way of culture yet we have to accept theirs in our own country.

I suggest you listen carefully when this British girl is being told what she should be wearing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KupMaVU5ZEQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ay0PQuIXZ4