Meet the North Yorkshire Police officers who designed the country's first hijab for female Muslim officers

Pc Usma Amireddy has worked as a police officer for 10 years, but for the past six years has had to sit back from frontline duties as the head covering she wears as part of her Muslim faith does not comply with safety regulations that come with being out on the beat.

No stranger to breaking barriers as a BAME officer, Pc Amireddy has joined forces with her North Yorkshire Police colleague, Pc Arfan Rahouf, to become the first in the country to successfully design a police uniform hijab.

The two constables said they hoped the design would help pave the way in inspiring more young Muslim women to join the police force.

"Let’s face it, there will be women who don’t have role models within the police so if I can be that little bit of encouragement then that’s brilliant," Pc Amireddy told The Yorkshire Post.

She explained: "I was already wearing the hijab while policing, but this was my own.

"When they provided me with one last year I wasn't happy with it, so the chief officer said ‘I’m more than happy for you to go and design one’."

Pc Amireddy teamed up with Pc Rahouf, who is North Yorkshire Police's Race, Faith and Belief Operational Lead, to design a proper police uniform hijab which fits the brief.

"It’s having the safety aspect of it as well," Pc Rahouf said.

"If officers get into any sort of situation they need to know they will be safe. The neck piece as well has been checked for risk of strangulation."

The new hijab, which has been provided by West Yorkshire-based company KAWACC, ties around the back of the head and has a separate neck piece which cannot be used by offenders to try and assault the officer wearing it.

Currently, most Muslim female police officers who choose to wear the hijab wear their own, but this may not always be deemed safe in a job that is filled with risks.

Pc Amireddy added: "It’s about ensuring we can give the best equipment to people so they can be the best version of themselves in their jobs.

"If you’re told by an employer you need to wear a uniform, you would expect them to provide that.

"This is the 21st Century, and they should provide what you need and that includes what you need to feel comfortable."

She added: "I’ve not just done this for myself but for other Muslim women coming into the police force, to show they are welcomed."

The issue of diversity within police work forces has been one of great discussion in 2020 prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement.

Forces across the country are recruiting to meet the demands of the Home Office for 20,000 more officers, but many have expressed wishes for more applicants from diverse backgrounds.

North Yorkshire Police recently became one of the first forces in the country to be fully representative of the ethnic makeup in the population it serves, with 3.4 per cent of staff from BAME backgrounds.

Pc Rahouf said: "To the young Muslim females wearing hijabs, where is your role model? Where are the police officers that look like them? They will see things like this and see that Pc Amireddy feels comfortable in going out and doing her job.

"BAME women are suffering with issues which are taboo and may not be fully understood by people outside their community, so hopefully they will see a female officer like Pc Amireddy and be confident that the police have their back."

The new hijab, which Pc Rahouf described as "one of his proudest moments", has gained international media coverage and the two are hoping it will soon be available for police forces up and down the country, pending its final approval.

They are also hoping to look at ways of innovating other religious head wear as part of police uniforms.

Pc Amireddy added: "I’ve now only done one shift but I found people saw through the hijab and were looking at me as a person doing my job.

"These may be small touches, but they’re very important touches. If I can bring positive changes for women from a Muslim background then I’m really proud of that. I just hope it’s for a good cause."

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