Police here are becoming more sensitive to those who follow non-Christian faiths after a special training on the religious practices of different faiths.

The 14,000 police officers of the Chicago Police Department were required to watch five 10-minute videos that focussed on Sikhs, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus.

These training videos educate the police about the 'kirpan' (dagger) carried by Sikhs and contain scenes insides places of worships and interviews with religious leaders and other community members.

Following the Sep 11, 2001 terror attacks, several innocent South Asians were exposed to hate crimes.

The New York Times quoted Kareem M. Irfan, chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago as saying that the training had changed the community's relationship with the police to the extent that it now views the force as an ally.

Shiva Singh Khalsa said Sikhs, in keeping with their martial traditions, have swords in their homes, which could confuse beat cops. He said many beat cops now know who he is and they don't call him a Sheikh or ask him if he is a Muslim.