COLUMBUS – The Columbus Police Division has decided to continue its ban on head scarves for officers.
READ MORE: In the Columbus Dispatch
“We want to interact with all members of the community without a preconceived notion of who we are,” Deputy Chief Michael Woods said on Tuesday.
“We strive to be a nonpolitical, nonreligious organization.”
The decision comes at a time when other police departments across North America are making accommodations for head scarves as they try to boost recruitment in more diverse communities.
Woods said police officials consulted with the city attorney’s office and current case law supports the decision, which he said was ultimately made by Chief Kim Jacobs.
“What I know is that our goal is to display neutrality in our uniform,” Woods said.
Police were also concerned about safety, he said. For example, officers wear clip-on ties so that they can’t be used to gain control. He also said gas masks won’t fit over the scarves.
Jacobs did not return calls on Tuesday.
In April, The Dispatch wrote about the dilemma faced by Ismahan Isse, a Somali-American and a Muslim who dropped out of the Columbus police academy in March because of the head-scarf ban.
Isse, 29, said that her scarf, or hijab, was important to her identity and that she’d like to return to the academy if the rule was changed. It had been her dream to become an officer, she said.
Isse could not be reached on Tuesday.