Vancouver police officers to remove Thin Blue Line patch
Posted January 17, 2023 6:34 pm.
Last Updated January 18, 2023 10:28 am.
Members of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) have been instructed not to wear the controversial Thin Blue Line patch following an internal review and civilian complaint.
The report put together following this review will be presented to the police board on Thursday. It finds the use of any unauthorized patches by VPD members on their uniform is prohibited as per department policy.
The report, signed by Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson, says a reminder was sent out to all officers on Jan. 6 reminding them about that policy related to unauthorized patches.
The symbol of a horizontal blue bar across a monochrome Canadian flag had been co-opted by some white nationalist movements and banned by some police agencies, including the Calgary Police Department and the RCMP.
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The direction to remove the patch is a welcome development according to Simon Fraser University criminology professor Martin Andresen.
“It has been viewed as a symbol of hate by the marginalized communities in this country. And not just this country, [but] in the United States as well,” he said.
“Wake up, recognize how this is viewed by a lot of Canadians, our marginalized populations in particular. And let’s figure out a way that we can not be agitating things. In a time of reconciliation we shouldn’t be doing things to agitate our marginalized communities,” Andresen explained.
Although Andresen sees the change as a welcome one, he sees it as a bit of a letdown, as it appears to stem from a technicality regarding uniform standards.
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“I guess it’s good that the VPD is actually starting to fall in line on this issue. It’s from political pressure, of course. I don’t think they’re doing it from simply from the right place,” he said.
The report comes as a City of Vancouver Cllr. and former police officer Brian Montague defended his use of the symbol in December last year.
Montague at that time responded to someone who questioned his use of the symbol, with the ABC Vancouver councillor saying it “is a memorial to many of the friends and colleagues I have lost.”
In December, Montague declined an interview with CityNews on the topic, stating in an email “I was asked a simple question and provided a straight answer.”
“Those who don’t like the police have provided their opinion, but I don’t think I need to say any more than I already have – my position is clear,” the councillor said.
Mayor Ken Sim at that time said he supported Montague’s use of the patch.
“As a veteran of the Vancouver Police Department, Councillor Montague wears the patch as a memorial for the many friends and colleagues that he and countless other officers have lost over the years,” Sim said. “We condemn those who attempt to redefine or co-opt the thin blue line symbol for hatred or political purposes.”
