Community leaders in Houston seek permanent memorial for Sikh-American cop

A permanent memorial to honour the Indian-American police officer Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal is under works by community leaders in Houston. On December 17, Harris County Commissioners Court recommended naming a section of the Sam Houston Tollway after Dhaliwal which was approved by the court. The section of the roadway between Texas 249 and US 290 is planned to be renamed as the Deputy Sandeep S Dhaliwal Memorial Tollway. Yet the Texas Department of Transportation is still due to review and provide final approval to the resolution. Indo-American Chamber of Commerce Greater Houston (IACCGH) founding secretary Jagdip Ahluwalia and its president Swapan Dhairyawan told the media that this will be a fitting memorial for honouring the Indian-American hero.

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Appeals for other forms of memorials

Likewise, Garcia had also proposed to rename the downtown Houston criminal courthouse after Dhaliwal but it was opposed by a group of lawyers. As a result, Garcia had withdrawn the proposal. Moreover, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher also introduced legislation in the US Congress to name a post office in Houston after Dhaliwal. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher presented the bill in the House of Representatives which mentioned the appeal for renaming the post office located at 315 Addicks Howell Road in Houston as "Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office". 

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First Sikh to wear a turban on duty

Dhaliwal was killed on duty on September 27. He was the first Sikh-American Cop who was allowed to wear a turban and beard. In November 2019, Houston Police Department announced a policy allowing officers to wear articles of faith while on duty, becoming the largest law enforcement agency in Texas to do so. The Sikh Coalition has called on state and national police agencies to develop religious accommodation policies. It has also called on the Department of Defense to implement a streamlined religious accommodation process across all branches of the US military.

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