Any police force must reflect the community it serves if it is to be effective in its role. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has promoted this development, designed to bring about greater diversity within the force. The initiative goes beyond the headline-grabbing decision to allow male members of the Sikh community wear turbans while on duty and female Muslim members to wear hijabs. For cultural and other reasons, less than 1 per cent of the force is made up of members with foreign antecedents. When recruitment to the Garda Reserve was being promoted, resistance was such that a Sikh recruit was refused permission to wear a turban in 2013 under the uniform code.

Source: The Irish Times April 04, 2019 23:41 UTC