Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore has banned the display of the “thin blue line” flag at public events and police station lobbies, reports NewsNation. The flag is a black-and-white colored U.S. flag with a single blue stripe in the middle. The mandate comes in response to the flag's divisive symbolism. Some people see it as support for law enforcement, while others say it's become a symbol of far-right ideology and white supremacism. “While I do not personally view the ‘Thin Blue Line Flag’ in the same manner as the community member and others, its display in our public lobbies can be divisive,” Moore said. Jerry Rodriguez, a former LAPD captain and former Baltimore deputy police commissioner, called the move “unfortunate.”
Moore has also prohibited using the thin blue line patch on officer uniforms or bumper stickers on police vehicles. Displaying the flag on non-public property such as an officer’s locker, personal workspace or personal vehicle is still allowed, officials said. Rodriguez said he understood Moore's policy, saying, "We don’t need things that distract from the day-to-day work.” he said. However, Rodriguez said the police union, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, and the officers don’t see necessarily see the chief’s actions this way and that is where the difficult work lies ahead. “They see this as a very glaring, another example of the department not standing up for its rank and file. We know that policing is becoming a difficult job, more so because in some communities, there’s a lack of trust,” he said. “While the threat for the officers is getting higher and increasing, they’re feeling less and less supported by the communities they serve, and in this case ... by the chief who is supposed to protect them.”