Former recruit Fishel Litzman was fired on Friday from the NYPD after
multiple confrontations with the department over the length of his
beard. Litzman is Hasidic Jew and believes that cutting his beard is
forbidden by God. NYPD rules usually require officers to be
clean-shaven. The department makes exceptions for beards kept for
religious purposes, but even then only allows 1 millimeter worth of
growth. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne says the department's rules are
reasonable and Litzman was aware of them when he signed up.
