Saskatoon police to investigate thin blue line patches being worn by some officers

Should Saskatoon police officers be able to wear the thin blue line patches, which some see as controversial?

That is the question the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners is looking to answer, following a letter of concern from the public. 

The patches first appeared in the United States, and while proponents claim the badges symbolize police solidarity, detractors say the symbol is divisive and potentially racially charged, often seen as a reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The badges are a fairly recent phenomenon in Saskatoon, Police Chief Troy Cooper said Thursday, at the Board of Police Commissioners meeting. 

Chief Cooper has spoken to officers about the patches, and has been told they represent positive issues like the importance of mental health awareness among police.

"I can tell you without hesitation at all that any officer within our service who maybe has possession of a patch like that believes that it stands for a commitment to our profession," said Cooper.

"But we understand that the symbol of the thin blue line patch has been misappropriated by some groups or some individuals, at least. And it means something entirely different to them."

Cooper said the patches depict a Canadian flag with a blue line running through the centre. He did not know how many officers are wearing the patch.

The Saskatoon Police Service does not have a policy in place right now on the patches, which are not an official part of the uniform but are worn voluntarily by officers. He said officers traditionally wear other symbols, including a blue mourning ribbon when fellow officers die, as well as special rainbow insignia for Pride Week.

Cooper said the police service will reach out to different forces across the country as well as the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to see how they are dealing with the issue and will report back to the board.

RCMP reaction

The patch has been controversial in other areas. In 2020, the RCMP sent out a national memo advising officers they were not allowed to wear it, while officers in Saint John, New Brunswick were told in July not to wear them.

Graham MacDonald, the man who wrote the initial letter to the board, said he's happy that the issue will be studied.

McDonald said the patches run contrary to the principles of community policing and seem to be separating officers from the rest of society. He also was troubled by the patch's appearance at several white nationalist rallies in the U.S. 

He said he became interested in the issue after seeing several Saskatoon police officers wearing the badges in the last several months.

"It got me curious about what is and isn't allowed, especially knowing that the RCMP don't allow them," he said.
 
"The issue is that it's a symbol and when you display a symbol like that, you don't necessarily get to control how people view that symbol."

Setting a standard

Members of the board felt that studying the issue further was a wise decision.

"I'll be looking for some sort of standard in terms of what we want to achieve with uniforms and the messaging portrayed through them," said Hilary Gough, a board member and Ward 2 counsellor. 

"And if they are going to change from time to time, that is done in an intentional and and consistent and deliberate way that is clear about what the message of that alteration is." 

Mayor Charlie Clark, who is also a board member, said he hoped a good solution could be found.

"I think the way it has been interpreted or utilized in some situations can create a more of an us-versus-them dynamic, whether that's what's intended or not," he said.

"Having that analysis and talking to people most directly affected on the police officers side and and the community side, I think is the best way to come up with the right answer."

It is not known when the review, which is being done by the Saskatoon Police, will be completed.

The Saskatoon Police Association, which represents more than 500 officers, was not immediately available to comment.