The addition of the blue line symbolism to a flag is claimed by Thin Blue Line USA, a company created in 2014 by then-college student Andrew Jacob to show support for law enforcement. In the 1950s, Los Angeles police Chief Bill Parker picked up the term, mentioning it in speeches and adopting it as the title of a TV show he conceived to promote a polished image of the Los Angeles Police Department, which had been plagued by a history of corruption within the force. The phrase Thin Blue Line is old, and its exact source is unknown. [32] The Canadian Anti-Hate Network has stated that it often encounters Thin Blue Line and 'back the blue' symbols on social media pages used by hate groups. In the 21st Century, the police that we need is very different, he said. The Thin Blue Line symbol is a pro-police emblem that is said to represent the thin line between order and lawlessness in society that is maintained by law enforcement who wear blue uniforms. Across the country in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a similar step was taken by the Springfield township board, who voted 5-2 to ban the Thin Blue Line from township employees or property. is a staff writer whose book, "Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty," won the 2019 J. Anthony Lukas Work-In-Progress Book Award. [15], According to a 2018 law review article, "thin blue line" also refers to an unwritten code of silence used to cover up police misconduct, also known as the blue wall of silence,[16] a term dating back to 1978. The two smoked, drank, and went to the moveis before Adams was dropped off at his motel in Dallas. The flag has no association with racism, hatred, bigotry, he said. The British formation became known as the Thin Red Line. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, Video: Conn. cop fired for misconduct against driver while directing traffic, Police bodycam released after EMS providers charged with murder of patient in their care, Ohio sheriff: Fitness standards keeping cadets from taking final exam, 5 Tenn. officers fired, 3 suspended after sexual misconduct investigation, New LAPD policy lowers off-duty drinking limit for armed officers, 3 things to consider before you raise a thin blue line flag, Open the tools menu in your browser. Criminologists Don L. Kurtz and Alayna Colburn have analyzed the language police officers use in formal interviews, and argue that the thin blue line idea is an example of popular culture informing internal police culture, highlighting the assumed differences between officers and citizens and further progresses an us versus them mentality among officers.. [13], The Oxford English Dictionary records its use in 1962 by The Sunday Times referring to police presence at an anti-nuclear demonstration. John English said that when his family put up a blue heart with the Thin Blue Line in their window after an officer was killed, his family was targeted. Twitter The Series 2 episodes in the Region 1 DVD are cut to fit about 30-minute runtime. Nonprofit journalism about criminal justice, A nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. In 1976, Randall Adams was wrongly sentenced to death for the murder of a Dallas policeman. 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When they come (into our communities), they see us as criminals, they see us as threats, he said. For the 1952 American panel show, see, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, BBC Comedy Guide The Thin Blue Line, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Thin_Blue_Line_(British_TV_series)&oldid=1131273826, 1990s British police comedy television series, Television series by Tiger Aspect Productions, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from August 2019, All articles needing additional references, Articles lacking in-text citations from August 2019, Wikipedia introduction cleanup from July 2021, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from July 2021, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles that may contain original research from August 2019, All articles that may contain original research, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. "Lets all remember what the Thin Blue Line flag is and what it represents: The Thin Blue Line flag features a black and white image of the American flag with the horizontal stripe beneath the field of white stars on the black background. Police were not actually in greater danger than they had been before the Black Lives Matter movement. E rrol Morris's The Thin Blue Line (1988) is widely recognized as a monumental achievement in the documentary tradition. Available on BritBox, Prime Video. When I see that flag as a sticker on a car or flying in someones yard, I know that there is someone there that knows what Im going through. Some say the concept fails to recognize the communitys role in public safety and the importance of community-police relations. In Cold Spring, New York, local leaders debated last week whether placing a decal of the flag on a police car would make some people afraid to ask officers for help. Roman concluded her email by saying that she understood her decision may upset or anger some officers and that she felt "hurt and disappointed as we confront our current reality. This effort of the 1854 battle, most notably associated with Alfred, Lord Tennysons poem Charge of the Light Brigade was described by the British press as the thin red line. Jack Schaeffer, president of the San Diego Police Officers Association, said he views the thin blue line as nothing more than a show of pride and support for law enforcement. In 2001, it was placed on the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. "It feels akin to a Confederate flag." Creator and writer Ben Elton is a fan of Dads Army,[3] and many of the characters were influenced by the show. Fowler thinks it's his turn for promotion. [2] Judge Don Metcalfe, who presided over the trial of Randall Adams, states in the film that prosecutor "Doug Mulder's final argument was one I'd never heard before: about the 'thin blue line' of police that separate the public from anarchy." Marcus Boyd, a leader of the group, which counts with more than 350 members on Facebook, said he associates the symbol with the blue wall of silence, an informal code of not reporting misconduct among law enforcement officers. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. But Jacob, the flag's creator, argues that such opposition is wholly misplaced. I don't care and am not arguing about the actual meaning of the Thin Blue Line flag, or politics. The decision to ban the symbol came after nearly two years of controversy and debate over the issue. Can PC Goody take her place? "The balance has tipped, and we must consider the cost of clinging to a symbol that is undeniably and inextricably linked to actions and beliefs antithetical to UWPDs values.". POLITIFACT: MOSTLY TRUE THAT PRO-POLICE THIN BLUE LINE FLAG IS ANTI-BLACK LIVES MATTER. Market data provided by Factset. Parkers tenure augured a bigger shift towards militarism in police departments, which came to buy military gear directly from the Department of Defense. The Los Angeles Police Department is facing fierce criticism after it banned displaying the Thin Blue Line Flag over a complaint it symbolized "extremist" views. Spanning across two seasons, the popular British sitcom - set in a police station in the quaint town of Gasforth - brought fans comedy heavyweights such as Rowan Atkinson and some newcomers onto the scene. Local skirmishes and letters to the editor in various states have questioned whether the thin blue line flag is a violation of the U.S. FREE Grant assistance! $3.99. Recently, the flag was flown from the back of a car alongside protests in South Dakota, and burned outside the Utah State Capitol. Many notable actors made guest appearances, and these include the writer Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Stephen Moore, Melvyn Hayes, Trevor Peacock, Owen Teale, Colin McFarlane, Alan Cox, Alexander Armstrong, Nicola Stapleton, Perry Fenwick, Walter Sparrow, Geoffrey Chater, Gabrielle Blunt and Rupert Vansittart. More recently, in May of this year, San Francisco police officers responded to a housing protest wearing face masks emblazoned with the thin blue line flag a display that drew immediate push back. In 40 years as an Appalachian cop, George Erwin Jr. came to this conclusion: Only "a thin blue line separates good from evil." But Mr. Erwin, the former sheriff of North Carolina's Henderson . The idea of a "thin blue line" can be traced all the way back to an 1854 British battle formation, a "thin red line" used during the Crimean War and then . We did it as a morale booster for each other, union president Tony Montoya said, not as a political statement.. Over his 30-year career in uniformed law enforcement and criminal justice education, Joel served in a variety of roles: academy instructor, police chaplain, deputy coroner, investigator, community relations officer, college professor and police chief, among others. It seems to have been inspired by a British regiment, called the Thin Blue Line, that stood against Russian cavalry charges during the Crimean War of 1854. Maurice Chammah Email Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Generally the uniformed section triumphs over the detectives, although not without their own foibles. Police should not be embracing a criminal as their symbol, the characters creator Gerry Conway told Syfy Wire last year. Its unclear when the adapted phrase was first used in police circles. The LAPD has . Inspector Fowler prepares his force for the rigours of cross-examination in court, and Constable Goody tries out a fetching new uniform. The PBA declined. The thin blue line flag represents the ideals of justice and freedom, bravery and solidarity. Thats maybe why it came to my eyes, he said. A general parody of the serious police procedural, one of the main themes on the show sees the uniformed squad, led by Inspector Fowler, and the CID, led by Detective Inspector Grim, locking horns over similar, or even the same, issues while having conflicting views or methods of operations. Both series have been released on DVD in the United Kingdom (Region 2) by Vision Video Ltd. TV-PG. Dr. Kelly Sundberg, an . "It is difficult to express the level of utter disgust and disappointment with Chief Moores politically pandering directive to remove Thin Blue Line flags and memorials for fallen officers from all public areas within our police stations. Chief Kristen Roman informed officers of the ban in a Jan . finds relevant news, identifies important training information, I am proud of what I do, the people I work with, and the ones who have died defending the rights of strangers. A high school football team in Santa Clarita, California, will no longer carry the "Thin Blue Line" flag onto the field during games after individuals shared that the symbol made them feel . San Diego police spokesman Lt. Shawn Takeuchi said over the years, the thin blue line has come to represent solidarity for law enforcement and their efforts to protect the communities they serve, but added that the department does not take a stance on the issue. We dont need lines, he said. Why do the police need their own tribal City-Data Forum > General Forums > Politics and Other Controversies: LAPD's Thin Blue Line flag ban spurs outrage amid recruitment struggles: 'Morale's in the gutter' . Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Each should respect the role of the other. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune. Officers at the time more badges decorated with the thin blue line band. It has also become deeply tied to white supremacist and far right wing groups, and was regularly seen during "Freedom Convoy" protests . "Unfiltered with Dan Bongino" host Dan Bongino reacts to a viral video of a substitute teacher berating a student wearing a "Thin Blue Line" mask and GoFundMe removing Canadian truckers' campaign page. Coastal Community", "Edmonton Police Association says controversial thin blue line flag a show of solidarity", "Thin Blue Line Flags Removed from Mount Prospect Police Uniforms", "RCMP directive eliminates wearing of 'thin blue line' patch while on duty", "RCMP officers told not to wear symbol depicting 'thin blue line', "RCMP union pushes back against ban on 'thin blue line' symbol, says it has ordered custom patches", "RCMP Union Tells Officers To Proudly Wear Controversial 'Thin Blue Line' Symbol", "Mounties criticized for wearing 'thin blue line' patches at B.C. Thin Blue Line. And to use that term so loosely in this society is disgusting. "Be very cognizant of the consequences that jovial interaction, selfies, and the like, will have for the department and our broader community in the context of everything I've pointed to in this not-so-brief email," she said. 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