Police Scotland has now incorporated the hijab as an optional part of its uniform. The move comes as a bid to encourage more Muslim women to join the force as well as up its representation of ethnic minorities.
The Met Police introduced the hijab ten years ago.
Chief Constable Phil Gormley said:
“Like many other employers, especially in the public sector, we are working towards ensuring our service is representative of the communities we serve. I hope that this addition to our uniform options will contribute to making our staff mix more diverse and adds to the life skills, experiences and personal qualities that our officers and staff bring to policing the communities of Scotland.”
The Scottish Police Muslim Association, Fahad Bashir has called it “a positive step in the right direction.”
Police Scotland said it needs to recruit 650 officers from ethnic minorities to reflect the 4% of ethnic minorities in society.
