By Glen Johnson
Associated Press
BOSTON, Mass. — The car, a silver Honda Accord whizzing south on Interstate 93, was pristine in every respect, from its spit polish shine to its custom wheels and aerodynamic rear spoiler.
That sparkle made the frayed sticker on the rear windshield stand out all the more.
The rectangular, wordless emblem was nothing more than a piece of blue tape between equal lengths of black tape, but it conveyed a strong message of support for the “thin blue line” of police officers who separate the lawful from the lawless.
But are the wordless stickers also a visual code aimed at gaining special treatment from the authorities who patrol Massachusetts roads?
All over the state, members of the law enforcement community, their families and the general public are displaying them on their vehicles.
“For what purpose does the spouse display the `thin blue line’ decal on their automobile? Why immunity from the law, of course,” said Kenneth Waters, a Hiram, Ga., resident who distributes knockoff stickers to people who aren’t connected to law enforcement. He said he wants to combat what he perceives as unequal treatment for civilian drivers when it comes to traffic infractions.
Over the course of a month, an Associated Press reporter made notes about the thin blue line emblems on cars speeding east and west on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Another was on the red pickup truck of a police officer -- in uniform despite being in a civilian vehicle -- as he weaved through traffic on I-93 North. And two were on a Volkswagen belonging to a Boston Police officer who parked in a restricted parking zone on Beacon Street while working on a traffic detail.
Others, either homemade or bought from manufacturers, were on cars operating normally.
The Massachusetts State Police is aware of the stickers but said drivers who display them or any other signs of support for police or their unions aren’t treated any differently.
“The State Police does not officially recognize or give any weight to any stickers or ornament or emblem affixed to any car when they are deciding whether to pull over a vehicle or issue a citation,” said Trooper Eric Benson, a State Police spokesman.
Benson said officers are free to consider various factors when deciding whether to give a written citation, but the decision should be based on changing driver behavior to improve driver safety.
“People might feel (the stickers) might provide them some protection, but that certainly is not the case,” he said.
Two people seen in downtown Boston with thin blue line stickers refused to speak to an AP reporter who asked about their meaning and the reason they were displayed on their vehicle.
Members of the law enforcement community say the original purpose of the trademarked stickers was twofold: to tell the local or state police the driver of an unmarked car is a fellow officer and may be armed and to show support for the law enforcement community.
Yet over time, the meaning has leaked out, and the stickers have become devalued as they have been distributed to family members and others without police duties.
That has created a backlash among some officers.
“If I stop someone with one of these stickers, and they are not LEO (a law enforcement officer) or direct family of LEO, they are almost certain to get written for whatever I can write them for,” said one blogger known as “La. Officer,” on the Policeworld.net forum. “I do know of officers stopping non-LEO with the thin blue line stickers and politely telling the suspects that if the sticker is gone by the time they get back to the unit to get the ticket book, then they will probably leave with only a verbal warning if there is no warrants out for them.”
The dissemination of the black-and-blue stickers has also prompted a Quincy police equipment supply firm to brand a new sticker, with the thin blue line buffered by white fields instead of black.
EPoliceSupply.com distributes those stickers only to people who provide their law enforcement identification and department telephone number for verification.
The company’s goal is to recognize and support members of the law enforcement community.
“A lot of bouncers are getting (the black-and-blue stickers) now,” said Erin Baycock, vice president of EPoliceSupply.com. “It seems like people are handing them out to nephews and cousins and they’re starting to lose their recognition.”
As for the new stickers, Baycock said, “We want to make sure that they’re not being distributed to just anybody because of how they’re received on the street. We want them to retain their credibility.”