Thin blue line can’t be worn by Vancouver police on-duty, board agrees

Vancouver police aren’t allowed to wear thin-blue-line patches on their uniforms, the city’s police board reaffirmed Thursday.

Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson said the decision to prohibit officers from sporting the symbol isn’t due to its contentiousness, but the Vancouver Police Department’s long-standing policy against unauthorized adornments.

“There are very strict guidelines of what our members are allowed to wear affixed to their uniforms. There was no need for a change in policy,” Wilson said.

Last week, the board released its memo in response to a civilian complaint of a VPD officer wearing the controversial badge in 2021 while policing a “land back” rally downtown. The complaint led the VPD to confirm that it doesn’t allow the patch to be worn by officers on-duty. It sent a reminder to members of the force on Jan. 6.

The board voted to endorse the decision, including the preparation of a January report delving into the history and various interpretations of the symbol. The report described ‘thin blue line’ as an adaptation of the term ‘thin red line’, which originated when red-coated members of a Scottish regiment of the British Army stood their ground despite being outnumbered by their Russian enemies during the Crimean War.