Thin Blue Line

Blue Line Branding

I do my best to keep these posts as light and entertaining as possible, but I need to be very serious for a moment. This is not a pleasant post to have to make.

All of us are proud of our profession and many of us live in areas where law enforcement is still revered, celebrated and appreciated. One of our constant reminders of the sacrifices our brothers and sisters have made is identification with the Thin Blue Line. Many of us wear it proudly on shirts, or fly blue line flags at our homes. In fact, many Torch Run programs use the blue line imagery.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where that symbolism is not universally respected. When Greg Dawson and I were recently in Berlin, we became aware of the cultural divide this symbol can cause. It's even more dramatic than what some of you see in the United States or other locales. Bottom line, the thin blue line symbol is not respected in Germany in the same manner it may be in other parts of the world.

Now, none of us on the management side of this team will ever dictate what you can and cannot wear when you're "off duty," but we can provide you with what we know so you can make an informed decision.

During our recent trip, Greg and I did a little reconnaissance at local establishments in Berlin and our observations were that a tremendous number of young people flock to Berlin to enjoy the numerous watering holes and venues the city has to offer. Berlin also has a reputation for its young people being more than willing to voice their opinions in a variety of colorful and not always peaceful ways. 

All of this to say, if you have the opportunity to venture into the community and enjoy the many sites (not that we're going to have a lot of down time), it might be best to do so under the radar, so to speak. None of us want to see anyone become involved in a disagreement simply because of a symbol on their clothing.

Thank you for your understanding, and I'm always open to comments and questions.