Councillor Carra's Statement Regarding Thin Blue Line

Our office has received significant correspondence in regard to the Calgary Police Commission directive for on-duty Calgary Police officers to stop wearing the Thin Blue Line symbol. The majority of these communications have been in support of removing the insignia. A smaller few have requested further information on the history and reasoning for the commission’s directive.

The first and most important point regarding this issue is that regardless of your position on the symbol itself, this is fundamentally a question of chain of command and citizen oversight. Like many law enforcement oversight bodies around North America, and particularly within Canada, after a year of study and consultation regarding the Thin Blue Line with the Calgary Police Service and the community, the Calgary Police Commission directed Chief Neufeld to disallow the symbol from on-duty service members’ uniforms. Members of the Police Service and public opposed to this decision have every right to challenge this directive and advocate for the Thin Blue Line’s reinstatement by the Police Commission. That instead, the leadership within the service chose to disregard the directive, encourage increased usage of the symbol, and the Chief chose to respect and accommodate this insubordination, directly illustrates one of the most problematic elements of what the Thin Blue Line signifies - that Police stand apart from the citizenry they serve.

The second, much more well-known, and much more contested, issue with the Thin Blue Line symbol is its origins in colonialism and the white supremacy that has surrounded its introduction and reintroduction to law enforcement. Two years ago, Chief Neufeld acknowledged institutional racism within the Calgary Police Service and committed to transforming the service into an actively AntiRacist organization.

In the spirit of this commitment, the decision to ban the Thin Blue Line insignia was based on thorough dialogue, research, learning, and ultimately, the diverse and divisive interpretations of what the symbol represents to members of our community. Calgary is by no means the first municipality to ban this symbol from on-duty service members – within Canada, the RCMP, the Victoria Police Department, the City of Ottawa, and the Toronto Police Service have all issued similar directives.

At the intersection of citizen oversight and antiracism, the term ‘thin blue line’ suggests that if not for a thin blue line of exceptional people, society would descend into violent chaos. This ‘us vs. them’ mentality heightens tensions between officers and citizens and negatively influences police-community interactions by setting police apart from society. This is not what modern policing should be based on.

Although it is understood that police officers and their families largely wear the thin blue line to honour the fallen, express support for those who serve, and recognize the unique role that police have in society, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantling racism and all systems of oppression, and for that reason, the thin blue line symbol must be replaced with something that that better reflects the values of ALL Calgarians.

Earlier this month, The Sprawl, a long-form, independent journalism publication, released an interview with Ward 8 Councillor and Police Commission Member, Courtney Walcott, about the current state of Calgary Policing, the issues that have arisen around the commissions directive to remove the thin blue line insignia, and thoughtful dialogue around a path forward for both Calgarians and CPS. If you are curious to learn more about the history and significance of this moment, this interview is recommended listening. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/sprawlcast-thin-blue-line-police

Further Reading:

Calgary Police Commission, Statement 1: Police directed to replace the thin blue line patch

Calgary Police Commission, Statement 2: Commission Responds to thin blue line enforcement plan

Calgary Police Commission, Statement 3: Dialogue on thin blue line patch as a positive step

Thin Blue Line Wikipedia - this page includes a breakdown of the historical and contemporary use of the symbol. It also includes Canadian-specific information. Everything is referenced.