UK Police unveil new Islam-friendly uniform in an effort to attract more Muslims to the force

West Yorkshire Police, which already allowed Muslim officers to wear the hijab or the headscarf, have unveiled their new Islam-friendly uniforms for Muslim female recruits who do not wish to show their female form.

Assistant Chief Constable Angela Williams said, “For the last month we have been trialling a new uniform for women which is designed not to show the female form. This was suggested by a Muslim female officer and was designed by our Clothing Manager in conjunction with the officer.”

“The tunic is a looser and longer fit, and has full sleeves. This has been well-received from officers in the force and we have now made further supplies of this uniform for other officers to trial it if they wish.”

“I hope this uniform will encourage people from underrepresented groups to consider a career in policing if they had previously been put off joining the force due to the uniform, and we are open to suggestions from all communities on how our uniform can be styled to better suit their needs.”

Chief Constable Dee Collins said the current uniforms could be preventing some women from joining the force.

According to the Yorkshire Post, Collins said they were developing mentoring programs to help more people from BAME backgrounds (non-white) to complete the application forms. “Is it a confidence issue? Is it a trust issue? Possibly around things as simple as uniform.”

Collins said the new uniforms were also presented before the Muslim Women’s Council in Bradford. According to a 2011 census, the city of Bradford was almost 27 percent non-white and has one of the largest Muslim communities in the United Kingdom.