B’nai Brith Canada has asked provincial justice and security ministers to emulate Connecticut’s government by letting police officers wear religious articles. .“Following Connecticut’s example will permit Canadian police departments to benefit from a larger, more diverse, pool of talented candidates,” said B’nai Brith Canada national director Marvin Rotrand in a press release. .“In all cases, the departments we surveyed say the minor uniform changes are supported by the public and that officers wearing religious symbols are as professional and effective as officers who don’t.”.A survey conducted by B’nai Brith on police uniform policies showed over the last two years, many more departments in Canada and the United States have changed rules to allow qualified candidates from religious minorities to be hired. .The survey revealed the Canadian military, the RCMP, the Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto police, Vancouver police, Calgary police, and Halifax police are hiring officers who wear kippahs, hijabs, and turbans. This approach follows what many American police departments have done. .Vancouver Police Department (VPD) decided it would modify its policies to allow Jewish officers to wear traditional head coverings after B’nai Brith Canada made a recommendation to do so in June. .READ MORE: Vancouver police to permit officers to wear kippahs.“The VPD has been a leader in Canada in promoting a diverse work force,” said B’nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn. .“However, B’nai Brith’s inquiry revealed there was a gap in the VPD’s policy with no specific mention that wearing a kippah (also known as a yarmulke) was allowed.”.The release said several police departments have agreed to work with B’nai Brith to ensure officers have access to an approved kippah. .The survey showed Quebec is an anomaly in having a provincial law imposed on its police departments barring qualified candidates who wear religious symbols from serving..“There is no proof that Quebec’s prohibition on officers wearing religious symbols provides any benefit,” said Mostyn. .Connecticut’s bill which B’nai Brith Canada praised requires all police departments no later than October 1 to “adopt or amend a policy to permit a police officer to wear a religious head covering in accordance with the police officer’s religious beliefs while the police officer is on duty and wearing a uniform or other authorized attire, except where the use of tight-fitting protective headgear is required by such law enforcement unit.” .The organization is hopeful Connecticut’s bill will become more popular across North America in the next few years. .“A province-wide law means that local departments don’t have to be convinced one at a time to have more accommodating uniform regulations,” said Rotrand.
