The Española New Mexico Police Department will be making history Aug 11 with the hiring of a new officer Abinashi Singh Khalsa, the first member of the Valley's Slkh Dharma community member to work as a full-time cop.

The grooming policy at Los Angeles County Sherrif's Department, where Khalsa currently works part-time as a deputy, prevents him from being hired full-time there, Khalsa said Monday. As part of their religious practice, Sikh men typically wear turban and grow long beards.

Because of federal regulations requiring employers to reasonably accommodate different religions, the Española Police Department is bending its own grooming policy, which requires officers to wear their hair short and also prohibits them from growing facial hair, except for a well-trimmed mustache, in order to allow Khalsa to join the force and continue to observe his spiritual practice, Deputy Chief Larry Ham said Monday.

“I think a reasonable accommodation is to allow him to wear his traditional headwear.'' Ham said.

“I don’t see that (a beard) would prohibit him from performing any of his duties.''

Khalsa 26, lived in the Sombrillo ahsram until about two years ago. when he moved to Los Angeles to take his current position, he said. A Sikh friend here who works as a paramedic mentioned to Khalsa that the Española Police Department has told him for years that they would hire him. Khalsa said that is what inspired him to apply.

To the best of Khalsa’s knowledge, there is another Sikh who works as a part-time reserve Los Angeles County deputy, and a Sikh who works for the FBI as an intelligence analyst. But Khalsa may be the country's first police officer, fittingly since Sombrillo is the home of the Sikh Dharma Community’s world headquarters.

Khalsa is already certified as a law enforcement officer in California, but Española Police are still waiting to hear back from the Department of Pubic Safety whether his certification will transfer to New Mexico. The answer will determine whether Khalsa needs to take only a three week training course or attend 22 weeks of instruction at the Law Enforcement Academy, Ham said.

 Either way, the department is enthusiastic about Khalsa joining the force. 

''He's a very personable guy, very motivated. He also seems very intelligent.” Ham said.

Khalsa who said he has never encountered any negative reactions to his Sikh lifestyle during his two years in Los Angeles, also had a positive first impression of his future co-workers.

“They seemed professional,” Khalsa said of the Española Police officers he met.  “They are a pretty dedicated group of guys.”

By Wren Abbott
Rio Grande Sun staff writer