EDMONTON – Flying high above the Edmonton Police Association building is a flag other police agencies have been distancing themselves from.
The flag shows a thin blue line through Canada’s signature maple leaf.
While the blue line was originally meant to highlight the sacrifice of officers on the front line, others see it as a symbol of hate.
“Some people feel it’s a sign of bigotry, or racism, or things of that nature. For us we feel that’s the furthest from the truth,” said Sgt. Mike Elliot, president of the Edmonton Police Association.
He says they’ve been flying the flag for three months and want to reclaim its meaning.
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But while the origins of the thin blue line may have themes of solidarity, criminologist Irfan Chaudry says this is an example of a symbol evolving–being co-opted by some extremist and white nationalist groups like the Proud Boys.
“Between order and chaos, you have the police as a thin blue line, protecting society,” explained Chaudry, who is the director of the office of human rights, diversity, and equity and MacEwan University.
“When a community member see that on a right-wing extremist paraphernalia, but then they also see it on a polices uniform [it can be cause for concern].”
And that’s why police in the U.S. and Canada have distanced themselves from it.
Last week an officer in Toronto was spotted with the badge, prompting a reminder to all officers it’s not allowed on their uniform.
A memo from RCMP last July also said the thin blue line is banned under the organization’s dress code.
Regardless of intentions, in a year of increased public calls for police accountability, many see the symbol as the anti-Black Lives Matter movement.
The Edmonton Police Association’s flag garnered public attention Wednesday after it was spotted flying at half staff on the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
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Someone online said they viewed the think blue line being lowered on the anniversary as a show of support for the officer convicted in Floyd’s murder.
“That hurts in the sense, that someone would think that. It has nothing to do with George Floyd. [Lowering] this flag, the sole purpose was for a colleague in Ontario,” said Elliot, sharing an officer out east had recently died by suicide.
For now, the flag stays.
But Eliott says they have received threatening calls related to it and will consult with members over its future.
Chaudry hopes they also consult with communities impacted.
“Understand if some section of society that we have taken an oath to protect and serve are viewing this as problematic–and as a result, it’s impacting their trust in our service–we need to reflect on that.”
