An Garda Síochána sought the advice of UK police forces and met with representatives of the approximately 1,000-strong Sikh community in Ireland before deciding that Sikh gardaí in Ireland would not wear a turban, Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy said last night. Patsy McGarryreports.
"We consulted widely on the matter," he said.
Speaking at the Humbert School, he also said that some UK police forces which permit uniformed Sikh colleagues to wear the turban had told Garda representatives that "if they could put the clock backwards they would like to".
It was also the case that many Sikh police in the UK preferred not to wear the turban while on duty, and did not do so as it could attract racist abuse.
As commissioner he was "very conscious of any religious symbols at all being deployed by any gardaí on their uniform".
He "would be concerned" were gardaí to wear crosses on their uniforms, but it was something you did not see.
He said the Garda had no difficulty with providing meeting houses or places of prayer for people of any religious persuasion within their ranks, at the Garda College and relevant places of work.
There was just one Sikh member in the force to date and he was in the Garda Reserve.
However, he pointed out that members of the Garda now included people from Belarus, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, India, Poland, Romania, Russia, the UK and US. There were "a number" of Traveller gardaí. He would not say how many or where they worked.
"Developing policies that promote intercultural awareness, interaction, equality of opportunity, understanding and respect is very important."
The Garda was "delighted to accept the help of the new communities coming to this country, and we have made significant concessions in our entry criteria aimed at attracting candidates from other cultural and ethnic backgrounds".
These meant that, instead of being required to have a competence in Irish and English, candidates were now expected to have English and another language.
There was "no question of the professional standards of An Garda Síochána being compromised".
However, "openness to the ever-changing policing environment, and adapting to that change with flexibility and effectiveness in an accountable and transparent way, demands a constant review of policing strategies".