RCMP told not to wear solidarity symbol
‘Thin blue line’ motif creates us-versus-them mentality, critics say
RCMP members across the country have been told in a memo they are no longer to wear or display symbols depicting a “subdued” Canadian flag with a blue stripe through it while on duty.
The “thin blue line” symbol, which has been used for years by police officers as a sign of solidarity and by their families to show pride, has come under growing scrutiny by critics calling for major police reform. Some say such symbols create an us-versus-them mentality and do not help foster trust in communities police are meant to serve.
Media reports from the United States to Australia indicate there have been concerns farright groups and opponents of the Black Lives Matter movement have co-opted the symbol, as well.
“The note came out as a concern that it was appearing more often in images of on-duty Mounties,” RCMP spokesperson Dan Brien told the Star on Friday night. “In some parts of the country, some of the cars actually have the sticker on them as well.”
While the symbol has been used to represent “membership or support for the police family” for years, “I acknowledge there are multiple interpretations of the symbol,” Brien said.
The memo was distributed to members Friday by Al McCambridge, the RCMP’s corps sergeant major in Ottawa who is responsible for dress, deportment, ceremonial protocols and RCMP traditions.
“In recent months, police services and police officers have been facing tremendous pressure. We have lost colleagues in tragic circumstances, and we have been a focal point in difficult public conversations about the role of police in our society. In these circumstances, it is natural to want to show support to each other and our colleagues across the law enforcement community,” the memo reads.
“The use of symbols, such as the subdued flag with a blue bar, has become widespread in North America as a sign of solidarity and support for police. While this may be common outside of a work setting, it is not an approved symbol and is not to be worn on our uniform or displayed on other equipment such as vehicles.”
The memo goes on to tell members to wear symbols that are “already approved for use, and are widely recognized and honoured by our colleagues and the public.”
When mourning fallen officers, McCambridge said, members are encouraged to wear the “approved mourning ribbon” set out in the force’s uniform and dress manual.
The memo does not expressly forbid members wearing the symbol off-duty, nor does it address outside concerns that have been raised about the symbol.
Earlier this summer, the union that represents Ontario Provincial Police officers came under fire after it flew a black and white Canadian flag with a blue horizontal stripe through it outside its headquarters in Barrie, Ont. In a statement at the time, Ontario Provincial Police Association president Rob Jamieson said the flag was meant to honour RCMP officer Heidi Stevenson, who was killed in the Nova Scotia mass shooting tragedy earlier in the year, and other fallen officers.
“The dark colour of the flag is purposely subdued to show respect, and the ‘thin blue line’ symbolizes the police line between good and evil, for honourably serving and protecting our communities,” he said.
But Paul McKenna, a former senior OPP official, told the CBC at the time it was not appropriate. “They call it the Thin Blue Line, but I think it’s very thick-headed of them to put forward that kind of symbol in the face of the really legitimate opposition that police are facing right now,” he said.