(CNN) The Houston Police Department has a message for the community: their doors are open.

The department formally announced at a news conference Monday that it is changing its uniform policy to allow officers to wear their articles of faith while serving, a practice prohibited by many law enforcement agencies.

In the words of Mayor Sylvester Turner, "It's about time."

The policy change, signed on October 11, was made partly in honor of Sandeep Dhaliwal , the Harris County sheriff's deputy who was killed in the line of duty in September. Dhaliwal gained national attention in 2015 when the sheriff's department changed its policy to allow him to wear the Sikh turban and a beard as part of his uniform.

"I'm proud to stand with you today to say that the Houston Police Department is now the largest law enforcement agency in Texas, and one of the largest two or three in the nation, to allow officers who are Sikhs to wear their articles of faith on duty," Turner said.

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