Thin blue line

The "Thin Blue Line" symbol

A blue laser beam was projected during the 24th annual National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on 13 May 2012 in Washington, D.C.

The Thin Blue Line is a symbol used by law enforcement, originating in the United Kingdom but now prevalent in the United States and Canada to commemorate fallen law enforcement officers and to symbolize the relationship of law enforcement in the community as the protectors of fellow civilians from criminal elements. It is an analogy to the term Thin Red Line.

Each stripe on the emblem represents certain respective figures: the blue centre line represents law enforcement, the black line represents the public, and the black line represents criminals. The idea behind this graphic is that law enforcement (the blue line) are unable to distinguish between criminals and lawful civilians, and identify themselves as being "surrounded".

Proponents of the symbol assert that the identifier is intended to show support for police. In the wake of controversies over police shootings, a Thin Blue Line flag has become popular among law enforcement personnel, their families, and supporters.

Variations

The Blue and White of the Thin White Line comes from the colours of the Star of Life, the universal symbol for Emergency Medical Services.

After the popularity of The Thin Blue Line emblem for law enforcement came a number of other "thin lines".

• The Thin Orange Line – Search and Rescue Personnel, sometimes used by civilians possessing a concealed carry weapon permit
• The Thin Red Line firefighters
• The Thin Grey Line Fugitive Recovery Agents, Bail Bonds Officers, Bounty Hunters
• The Thin Silver Line – Corrections officers
• The Thin Yellow Line – Tow Truck Drivers, The Old Line for Loss Prevention Officers
• The Thin Green Line – Security Officers (Park Rangers now use the Thin Blue Line, because they are law enforcement)
• The Thin Gold Line – Dispatcher
• The Thin White Line – Emergency medical services. The thin white line differs from other thin lines in that the background is blue instead of black, with a white line crossing horizontally through the middle. EMS also still uses the "Thin Orange Line" which is primarily used by Search and Rescue.
• The Thin Black Line – Nurses. The thin black line differs from other thin lines because it is a white background with a horizontal black line through the middle.
• Thin Line on American Flag

History

The term came into broad use after the release of Errol Morris' 1988 documentary film The Thin Blue Line, about the murder of a Dallas Police officer Robert W Wood. Judge Don Metcalfe, who presided over the trial of Randall Adams, states in the film, that prosecutor "Doug Mulder's final argument was one I'd never heard before: about the 'thin blue line' of police that separate the public from anarchy." The judge admitted to being deeply moved by the prosecutor's words, and the trial resulted in a wrongful conviction and death sentence.