SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s police chief said the city’s rank and file will wear neutral face coverings to defuse a controversy after officers sent to patrol a May Day protest wore masks adorned with the “thin blue line” flag.
The police union ordered and distributed the masks emblazoned with black-and-white American flag with a blue stripe across the middle. The symbol is associated with the Blue Lives Matter movement, a display of unity among police officers in response to the national Black Lives Matter movement.
In an email obtained by KTVU-TV, Chief Bill Scott told his officers Friday he considered the blue flag and stripe “a meaningful expression to honor fallen officers.” However, he worried that some may perceive the symbol as “divisive and disrespectful.”
A retired civil rights lawyer told the San Francisco Examiner that the masks, which also include the logo for the San Francisco Police Officers Association, violate a long-standing policy that bars police from expressing political opinions while wearing their uniforms.
“The definition of a uniform is that its uniform,” Crew said. “There is no option to add your own statements, affiliations, whatever.”
The police union president, Tony Montoya, said the union showed the masks to Scott’s command staff and several of them had asked for more. The blue line “represents law enforcement’s separation of order and chaos,” he said.
This is most unfortunate. This design does not create any decisiveness between the police and the public. The flag is patriotic and the blue line represents law enforcement. If firefighters used the same with a red line or other first responder groups who have a designated color, including our military, would the same prohibition be imposed? Especially now, when our officers are putting themselves at even higher risk (to their family as well), they need to be supported and displaying their pride in their profession should not be prohibited.
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(1) comment
This is most unfortunate. This design does not create any decisiveness between the police and the public. The flag is patriotic and the blue line represents law enforcement. If firefighters used the same with a red line or other first responder groups who have a designated color, including our military, would the same prohibition be imposed? Especially now, when our officers are putting themselves at even higher risk (to their family as well), they need to be supported and displaying their pride in their profession should not be prohibited.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.