The thin blue line patch causing controversy among the Calgary Police Service and its oversight body has a long and complicated history, appearing in various iterations at different times of policing over the past century.
The image features a blue line across a background, often a black and white flag for the country it appears in. The Calgary police commission recently issued a directive for officers to no longer wear the symbol on their uniforms citing negative perceptions of it, particularly among marginalized communities. In response, the Calgary Police Association said its members would not oblige.
