Calgary peace officer seen wearing controversial thin blue line patch despite ban
Posted Jun 28, 2022 11:33 am.
Last Updated Jun 28, 2022 11:42 am.
A Calgary peace officer was spotted wearing the thin blue line patch at a CTrain station last week, despite being barred from wearing the symbol earlier this year.
The officer was photographed wearing the patch at Westbrook station on June 22.
The thin blue line symbol – a horizontal blue bar across a monochrome Canadian flag – has been linked to white nationalist movements with roots in division, colonialism, and racism. Recently the symbol has been seen at counter-protests against the Black Lives Matter movement.
Others, though, see it as a way for police to honour fallen officers.
The Calgary Police Service (CPS) has been told that thin blue line patches for on-duty officers must be removed by May 31, after further talks between the Calgary Police Commission (CPC) and the police union.
Other police boards, such as in Saskatoon and Vancouver, have also prohibited officers from wearing the symbol.
https://twitter.com/iosegun/status/1539694264472330240?s=21
William Gillies, who photographed the peace officer at the CTrain station, says he confronted him about it.
“My friend tried to explain the background behind this but he wasn’t particularly interested in talking about it,” said Gillies. “And also as I mentioned in the tweet, would refuse to give his name and badge number… because it wasn’t technically a transit issue.”
A representative with Calgary Transit told CityNews that all peace officers were instructed on April 6, 2022 to “remove all unauthorized material or patches from their uniform.” He says they were all sent another memo clarifying the rule on June 23, which is the day after Gillies photographed the peace officer wearing the patch.
It’s not the only such instance recently in Calgary.
A security guard was also photographed wearing the patch late last week at Sled Island, a local music festival. CityNews reached out to True North Security for a comment on the guard’s attire but didn’t receive a response.
Sled Island released a statement on Monday, reading in part: “We were shocked and disappointed to hear that a privately contracted Security guard with True North Security was displaying a thin blue line patch, a symbol associated with bigotry, racism, and hate. We will no longer be working with True North Security moving forward.
“This incident highlights the need for arts organizations like ours to not just hold the values that we do, but to very clearly communicate them to everyone we work with at all levels.”
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“I think it plays into wider discussions about how police relate to issues, such as racism, and enforcement,” Gillies said.
He says he’s glad peace officers have been told they can’t wear the patch, but his experience shows that citizens also have a role to play when it comes to enforcement.
“If they’re still wearing them, then I guess it kinda leaves it up to civilians, and transit users, or whoever else to essentially challenge officers about why they’re doing this, if it’s against their own rules,” Gillies said.
