Saint John police instructed not to wear 'thin blue line' patch after controversy online
Saint John Police officers have been ordered to stop wearing 'thin blue line' patches while in uniform.
The directive was issued to members, and posted by the Saint John Police Force on its Twitter account Friday.
The force wasn't giving interviews on the topic Monday.
Photos have recently been posted to social media platforms showing city officers wearing the patch while in uniform.
The patch is controversial in many jurisdictions. Some believe it shows an 'us-versus-them' attitude amongst law enforcement while others believe it signifies solidarity between officers.
"There is pretty widespread consideration across the country and in the policing community that these were not appropriate symbols for conversations around repairing community relationships between the public and police," says David Hickey, a Saint John city councillor.
In October, the RCMP told its members they could no longer display the patch depicting a black and grey Canadian flag with blue stripe through it while on duty.
Some metropolitan police forces in Canada, including Ottawa and Victoria, have since banned the insignia, while others, including Montreal, are reviewing its use.
The Saint John chapter of Black Lives Matter is following the local discussion, and is disappointed the force didn't offer more in its directive.
"Are they going to seek an educational moment from this? Probably not," says Matthew Martin, president of Black Lives Matter Saint John.
"They took the easy way out of saying 'you're not allowed to wear it because its policy' rather than saying 'why do you want to wear these patches?"
The city's police union says it's also frustrated a longer explanation wasn't offered.
"It would've been nice if the force had provided some history or some reasoning of what the patch was," says Duane Squires, president of the Saint John Police Association. "The force's direction to our members was it's not an issued piece of equipment, you're not supposed to be wearing that and we understand that."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.