California Legislature Orders More Police Training On Dealing With Sikh Kirpan

Last week, the California legislature passed and sent to the Governor for his signature AB 504 mandating additional training materials for law enforcement officers on how to deal with Sikhs carrying kirpans. Yesterday's Oakland Tribune says that Sikhs have been arrested for wearing the kirpan-- a ceremonial dagger-- by officers who approach them in a disrespectful way and assume they have been involved in a crime. The bill requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to develop training material on recognizing and interacting with Sikhs possessing articles of faith. The updated training material is to include "the alternatives to arrest and detention that have been successfully used by law enforcement officers when contacting a Sikh carrying a kirpan with a benign intent and in accordance with an integral part of his or her recognized religious practice." Around 100,000 Sikhs live in the San Francisco Bay area.