Over 1200 New York Police Department (NYPD) recruits were given information about Sikh beliefs including the significance of the turban and the Sikh articles of faith. Special attention was given on how to respectfully interact with a Sikh who wears a turban or kirpan and how to effectively engage with Sikhs in New York City. The presentations lasted ninety minutes each and included a question and answer session as well as a turban tying demonstration.
Last year, the Coalition’s Director of Programs and Education Director led the presentations for the NYPD. This year, two members of the New York Sikh Presenter’s Course were also invited to deliver presentations: Jaspreet Kaur Bansal and Japkeerat Singh.
The Coalition would like to thank New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and the leadership of the New York City Police Academy for allowing the Coalition to conduct the training.
“The Coalition would especially like to thank Lt. Christine Seppa, Commanding Officer for the Curriculum and Evaluation Unit, for organizing these trainings sessions with the Coalition. The Coalition also thanks Police Officer Harinder Singh Khela of the Community Affairs Bureau for participating in and supporting the training sessions” reads a release by the Sikh Coalition.