New York State Police is actively reviewing its policy to accommodate troopers of all religious faiths, the agency said Thursday, after pushback from the Sikh community for barring troopers from growing facial hair.
State Trooper Charanjot Singh Tiwana, of Buffalo, is a practicing Sikh. State police have prohibited him from growing marginal facial hair in keeping with his religious beliefs.
Beards and turbans are sacred in the Sikh faith, but facial hair can pose a safety risk for police officers who need to wear a gas mask…