Thin Blue Line
What started as a phrase, became popularized as a graphic image, then unfurled as a thin blue line flag, has been around for a long time. The thin blue line is seen on police cars, lapel pins, coffee cups and COVID-19 masks. Only recently has the thin blue line flag sparked controversy.
Content within the Thin Blue Line topic lists frequently asked questions about the thin blue line, discusses what police officers should consider before displaying a thin blue line flag, and reviews some of the current discussions as to whether law enforcement agencies should display thin blue line imagery within their departments.
Cpl. Demetrius German poses in front of one of the largest thin blue line flags in the country
We received dozens of emails from readers in response to recent news that police chiefs were removing thin blue line imagery from their departments
Following community criticism, two police chiefs announced they would be removing thin blue line imagery from display in their agencies
“It saddens me to see the blue line being redefined and misrepresented,” said a retired trooper whose brother died in the line of duty
Thomas DiSario has flown the flag since his son was killed in the line of duty in 2017
“During roll calls, please inspect our members and remind them the Thin Blue Line is PROHIBITED!” an email said
Mount Prospect Police Chief John Koziol defended the patch saying it is a “slap in the face” to officers when people say the flag is a symbol of hate
Sheriff Dale Schmidt criticized the decision, saying he believes banning the imagery sends the wrong message to citizens and law enforcement
UW-Madison Police Chief Kristen Roman said the flag has been “co-opted” by extremists with “hateful ideologies”
The order comes after some residents raised concerns about thin blue line masks
Commissioner Dermot Shea tweeted that the behavior of the officer was “One hundred percent unacceptable. Period.”
“When we put on this uniform, we are apolitical,” Chief of Department Terence Monahan said. “We have no stance in one way or another”
The agency said the symbol has “unintentionally created an ongoing divide” between members of the community and police
Agencies across Utah and Nevada contributed to thin blue line flags that will be delivered to the wounded deputies
Marchers on Wednesday night were calm and peaceful following Tuesday night’s fatal shootings
The town manager ordered the flags removed from all Danvers Fire Department apparatus
The company amended its policy against political attire after a photo taken at a Kansas plant labeled a pro-police phrase ‘unacceptable’
His homeowner’s association changed course after the National Police Association hired a high-profile attorney to represent him
The flag, given to the sheriff’s office by the Weymouth Police Department, was raised in a ceremony on Monday
Chief Glenn Olsson said the controversy over the fire department’s flying of the flag partly contributed to his decision to retire
Somerville’s mayor said the flags were part of “an unauthorized action"; the removal comes after a similar controversy in Hingham, Mass.
The retired veteran received a letter from the DMV, calling the request “offensive” and “threatening”
A citizen complaint about the flags prompted Hingham’s police and fire chiefs to ask for the flags’ removal
The Department of Transportation threatened the artist with summonses or worse if he doesn’t remove a blue line painted on a road divider
The flags were originally purchased and flown on the firetrucks to show support for a fallen police officer
About 500 people gathered along Route 347 on Long Island to show their support for law enforcement
“I’m not gonna let that little sticker be the divide among people in the community who will be afraid to come to us because of that,” Sheriff Chuck Atkins said
In an email, staff and officers were told they were prohibited from wearing the logo on any uniforms or agency-issued equipment
New Woodbridge residents are petitioning town leaders to remove the blue line running down Main Street
Most of the killings tragically involve a definable list of deadly tactical errors
Chief Bill Scott told officers he considered the masks a “meaningful expression,” but worried that some may see them as “divisive and disrespectful”
The 14-foot-tall mural, which bears images of a lion, a badge and the Thin Blue Line flag, was commissioned to honor police work and boost morale
The wooden flags were given to each member of the department in thanks for the officers’ service
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