Deputy Constable Amrit Singh (2nd from right)
Washington DC, January 22, 2020: Deputy Constable Amrit Singh was sworn-in today as the first Sikh Deputy Constable in Harris County, TX. Constable Alan Rosen oversaw the swearing-in and pinning ceremony that took place at the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office. In this pioneering achievement, Deputy Constable Singh, will be receiving full religious accommodation due to the policies Harris County has in place through the work of Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF) Regional Director Bobby Singh.
Bobby Singh has been working with Constable Alan Rosen, the Houston Police Department (HPD) and the Harris County Sheriff’s office for over 20 years. His work has reached over 12,500 members of law enforcement in the capacity of religious accommodations and cultural awareness trainings. “After years of working to develop the religious accommodation policy in partnership with Harris County and Constable Alan Rosen I am thrilled to see it implemented and even more proud to see a Sikh American rise in the ranks of law enforcement,” said Mr. Bobby Singh.
SALDEF would like to congratulate Deputy Constable Singh for this landmark achievement and thank both Constable Alan Rosen for his leadership and focus on inclusion, and SALDEF Regional Director Bobby Singh for his dedication and service to the Sikh American Community in the Greater Houston area.
"Constable Rosen and Mr. Bobby Singh have shown what law enforcement and community partnership efforts can yield when they are done consistently and in good faith,” said SALDEF Executive Director Kiran Kaur Gill. “We would like to congratulate Deputy Constable Amrit Singh on his new position, and his willingness to serve his community. The work SALDEF does is only made possible by our volunteers like Regional Director Bobby Singh. His over 20 years of dedication to growing Sikh American understanding and presence in law enforcement can be seen with successes like that of Deputy Constable Amrit Singh.”
The legacy of fallen officer Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal lives on through through officers like Deputy Constable Amrit Singh and all the trailblazers for which Deputy Dhaliwal paved the way. SALDEF will continue to advocate for uniform accommodation policies nationwide and also Sikh Awareness trainings for law enforcement through our Law Enforcement Partnership Program to ensure that all who want to serve are able to do so with both dignity and respect for their culture and religion. Understanding and accessibility is key to growing Sikh American presence in Law Enforcement.