Suggestions the Montreal Police should change its uniform to accommodate Sikh and Muslim officers have stoked the embers of a fiery debate in Quebec.
Montreal politician Marvin Rotrand is urging the city to allow Sikh cops to wear turbans and Muslim officers to wear hijabs while on duty in order to attract more diverse recruits and build a force that better reflects the population it serves. He received an unexpected boost this week.
“It’s something we have to think about,” said Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante, who was elected last fall. “We know that other Canadian cities have done it so I’m very open to the proposition.”
Plante’s comments were only a passive endorsement. Though most big-city police forces, the RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces have already adopted inclusive uniform policies, she has not set any actual change in motion in Montreal. A spokesperson for the mayor said the decision is up to the police force to make. [Toronto Star] Read more
