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01 Jan 2025
NPCC Uniformity Magazine Jan 2025
Leicestershire Police have created a uniform Hijab for Muslim women in the workplace, which is innovative and bespoke to policing environments. They are due to launch their commercial product; Blue Light Hijab® soon. We spoke with project lead DC Yassin Desai,who is the National AMP (NAMP)lead for uniform and equipment,about his journey and the drive behind the project.
“Coming from a research and corporate strategy background, I find myself getting drawn into fixing a problem that I identify and not giving up until I achieve an answer or a solution. This was probably why I joined the Police 24 years ago and became a Detective thereafter. Nearly 20 years ago I identified a gap in the provision of uniform within the Police service for religious headwear. I sought to identify something that was suitable and befitting for modern day policing.
As the years went on we had several failed attempts to get the right product from suppliers and have been looking for the right design and product. We tested and trialled the New Zealand, North Yorkshire and NHS Hijabs, built really good relationships and took learning from their inspirational journeys.
Having not identified a design that our officers felt comfortable and confident wearing, we decided to design our own.I approached De Montfort University (DMU)as a former graduate of theirs for help,because there was no approved consistent design for our female officers that ticked all the boxes for fit, comfort, modesty for religious purposes and safety.Having negotiated a jointly funded collaboration project with DMU, I led a team of Muslim police constables based in city centre stations and we worked with Designers from the textiles team at DMU to create a new-style Hijab for female officers working on the front line. Hijabs wrap around the head and neck of the wearer but leave the face clear.
Our two-piece design incorporates safety elements such as magnets that join down the neck and quick release seams, so that the entire Hijab cannot be used as a ligature should a combat situation arise.The project has been ongoing now for nearly two years and we have conducted national wearer trials with Muslim police officers gaining their valuable experience and feedback and undertook extensive Combat trials to test the safety and reliability of the design, working with DMU.
This all culminated in a registered brand name and Trademark - Blue Light Hijab® - Confident and Proud and a design that is legally protected with the Intellectual Property Office(IPO).We undertook a tender process to identify a manufacturer earlier this year and are now working with a local textiles companies to make the Hijab,sourcing sustainable materials and local suppliers. We are now working towards finalising the testing of the final samples to move into production. If everything goes well, we hope to launch soon and roll this out in Leicestershire.
We have had several enquiries from national and international contacts interested in our product. I have been liaising with the national and my local Police Federations, other forces in England and Wales and the Home Office about it being an option nationally, for emergency services and front line staff.The applications for this product are vast to give choice to Muslim women in the workplace in public and private sector environments due to the unique safety features of the Blue Light Hijab® which is academically backed.
Firstly for policing within Leicestershire, it’s really important for our Muslim officers who wear the Hijab operationally have an opportunity and a choice. A lot of research and development has gone into this product with academic backing. It looks professional, compliments our current police uniform and has relevant design, aesthetic drape and safety features. It will help attract other Muslim females to become police officers and shows that Leicestershire Police is inclusive and accessible and recognises the need for religious headwear. It will also help to provide role models to the community to show them they too can follow a career in policing, whilst fulfilling their religious requirements, wearing a Hijab they are comfortable, confident and proud to wear.”
Kay Radford and Dr Angela Davies of DMU’s Textiles and Materials Testing (TEAM) research group led the project, which plays to DMU’s strength in design, and technical testing. Dr Angela Davies, of DMU's textile research team, said: “Leicestershire Police approached us because they had identified that the absence of an approved and suitable uniform Hijab left the police and the officers with uncertainty around appropriateness and uniformity of standards.
“We hope the design offers more choice to female Hijab wearers in the police force, and have been delighted to work with some of our police apprentices to get their input on the design and wearability.” Kay said: “It’s important for the officers to be comfortable, modest and look professional. When we were approached, officers wearing the Hijab had a single piece that came around the face and sat on the shoulder.
“We worked with two young Hijab-wearing officers that we liaised with at a lot of the meetings and we took prototypes, which we tweaked based on their feedback. We have to cater the design so earpieces can be worn easily and support with their work. It had to be a two-piece Hijab and we’ve created two sizes to fit different sized heads and faces.“We sent the designs to other forces in the country with a feedback form asking if it was comfortable, correct for their religion and, importantly, was it functional down the neckline, which is where it is fastened.
There is also the opportunity to extend the use for other frontline emergency services such as ambulance, fire and rescue and the military.”Frontline officers Pc Maryam Allison and Pc Aliyah Waka helped to test the newly-designed Hijab. “The one we wear currently doesn’t drape correctly, and cover as adequately as we would like,” said Pc Allison. “Anything can happen because you are an emergency service it’s quite easy for the neck be pulled tight and we need to know that we can wear something which is safe for the Hijab wearers in force.”PC Waka added: “It has been good being part of this process. We have seen how it looks, how it folds and we had two other women at work who trialled it too. We feed back to the designers and they worked with our comments.“We have explained what we would feel comfortable and safe with as well as having it breathable in the summer when the weather is warmer and the need for it to look smart and professional.
”DMU’s design team helped Leicestershire Police create a consistent design for its female officers that allows for a comfortable fit but is still modest, for religious purposes, and strong enough to handle movement in the neck and mouth. In March 2024 the project was recognised for it’s creativity and innovation and were were finalists in the Leicestershire Innovation Awards 2024.