Police chief bans 'Thin Blue Line' imagery, says it's been 'co-opted' by extremists

Chief Kristen Roman of the University of Wisconsin-Madison said "hateful ideologies" run counter to the department's core values  

Jan. 29, 2021, By Janelle Griffith

University of Wisconsin-Madison's police chief has banned officers from using "Thin Blue Line" imagery while on duty.  Chief Kristen Roman informed officers of the ban in a Jan. 15 email that was made public this week. The department faced criticism in November over a photo posted to its Twitter account that showed a "Thin Blue Line" flag displayed at the police department's office.

The "Thin Blue Line" flag, which resembles an American flag but has a blue stripe, is a sign of support for law enforcement but has also come to signal opposition to the racial justice movement and a symbol of white supremacy or support for the Blue Lives Matter cause.  Roman said that the flag has been "co-opted" by extremists with "hateful ideologies" in the promotion of their views that "run counter" to the department's "core values" and that it impedes "our efforts to build trust."

"Guided by our core values, my responsibility to ensure your safety as best I'm able, and by what I believe in my heart is the right thing to do under present circumstances, I am moved to enact specific measures to distance UWPD from the thin blue line imagery and the fear and mistrust that it currently evokes for too many in our community," she wrote............To Read More.....