Muslims Demand Police Change Uniform Rule So They Can Wear Hijabs On Saturday morning, Kadra Mohamed became the first Somali-American woman to join the St. Paul Police Department. The move follows an announcement from the department that it had come to the controversial conclusion that employees were allowed to wear police-issued hijab. Its nerve-wracking in a way, 21-year-old Mahamed told reporters. I want to be a good role model for others, especially Somali women. Mohamed was recognized in the Western District building at a graduation for youth who completed the East African Junior Police Academy. According to Chief Thomas Smith, St. Paul joins another department as the only ones to allow hijab. Mohamed told reporters that she contacted the police office months ago to learn about becoming an officer, at which time she expressed her concerns about not being able to wear a hijab. Sergeant Tina Kill contacted the police service in Edmonton, Alberta, who already had procedures in place for hijab suitable for duty. This action is part of St. Paul police efforts to recruit within the Somali-American community, an effort which has been in place since 2004. The organization is funded largely by a two-year federal grant, in a whopping $670,000 spent developing mentoring programs with Muslim and Somali communities. Now, if (female Somalis) see her, they will think, What makes her any different than me? claims Intisam Moosa, another academy graduate. 