The New York Police Department will allow officers to begin wearing beards and turbans for religious reasons.

Commissioner James P. O’Neill announced the change after a graduation ceremony for new police recruits at Madison Square Garden earlier this week.

Under the new policy, officers can maintain a beard up to a half-inch long with the approval of the NYPD deputy commissioner of Equal Opportunity. They can also wear a turban in place of the traditional police cap, so long as it is navy blue, the hat shield is affixed to it and hair is tucked inside.