Charlottetown police are apologizing and promising to update the force’s uniform policy after an officer appeared in a social media post meant to support PEI Pride Week wearing a Thin Blue Line patch.
The photo showed three officers with multi-coloured lettering spelling out ‘police’ on their uniforms, with the caption ‘Raining our rainbow police patches in support of #Pride2022 #pridewweek’.
One of the officers also wore a thin blue line patch, which some police officers have worn as a symbol of solidarity and respect for the force, as well as a memorial to fallen comrades.
However, many also see the patch as an offensive symbol with links to racism and white supremacy. The RCMP and several municipal police services in Canada have banned it as a symbol for officers to use.
Charlottetown police removed the photo from Twitter and posted another tweet apologizing for the “mistake.”
This second tweet was also later deleted.
Charlottetown Police Services apologized in a subsequent tweet that was later deleted. (Charlottetown Police Services/Twitter)
In a statement Thursday to CBC, Charlottetown Deputy Chief Jennifer McCarron said that while the officer in question “had no ill intent in wearing this badge and was wearing it in an effort to support the officers who have been injured or killed in the line of duty, It is clear that the history and controversy surrounding this symbol, specifically its racist and extremist origins, does not fit the protective and community services that CPS aims to provide to all the residents of Charlottetown.”
We promise to continue to educate ourselves and do better.— Assistant Principal Jennifer McCarron
McCarron said Charlottetown Police Services managers are taking “immediate action” to strengthen the force’s uniform policy to be inclusive.
“To those offended by this photo or the idea of our officers wearing this symbol, we sincerely apologize and are committed to continuing to educate ourselves and do better so we can stay focused on providing high quality police services that Charlottetown residents expect,” McCarron’s statement continued.
Doug King, a professor of justice studies at Mount Royal University in Calgary, said officers across Canada need to understand the racial undertones of the patch.
“Symbols communicate ideas, and you have to be very careful not to stumble upon a symbol that has ideas that are offensive to people you don’t know,” he said.