By Police1 Staff
PATERSON, NJ — A New Jersey department welcomed their first all-female class and first hijab wearing officer on Tuesday.
Officers Yeniry Medina, Gabriela Toribio and Serein Tamimi were sworn in by Mayor Andre Sayegh on what he called a “proud moment for the city of Paterson.”
According to NorthJersey.com, the class started with six recruits that included four women and two men. After six months of physical and academic training, three were left.
Tamimi, 22, became the first city police officer to wear a hijab. She hopes to inspire other Muslim women and set an example for Americans who may not know much about the religion, NewJersey.com reports.
“I want to show them that we’re not what the media portrays us to be,” Tamimi said. “We’re friendly people, we love what we do and we are there for the community.”
Medina decided to join the force to help the community while Toribio made the decision from an encounter with a kind police officer when she was a child. They have lived their entire lives in the city they now serve.
The class is joining a force of just over 400 people, including 57 women.