The Thin Blue Line is a symbol

Symbol

A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...

 in use in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 to show support for law enforcement officers.

The conceptual "Thin Blue Line" is derived from the historical Thin Red Line

The Thin Red Line (1854 battle)

The Thin Red Line was a military action by the Sutherland Highlanders red-coated 93rd Regiment at the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854, during the Crimean War. In this incident the 93rd aided by a small force of Royal Marines and some Turkish infantrymen, led by Sir Colin Campbell, routed a...

.

Meaning

The Blue represents the officer and the courage they find deep inside when faced with insurmountable odds.

The Black background was designed as a constant reminder of our fallen brother and sister officers.

The Line, the line is what cops protect, the barrier between anomie and a civilized society, between order and chaos, between respect for decency and lawlessness.

Together they symbolize the camaraderie law enforcement officers all share, a brotherhood like no other.

Variations

After the popularity of the Thin Blue Line emblem for law enforcement came a number of other "thin lines".

• Thin Orange Line - Bounty Hunter
  Bounty hunter
  A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
  
  s
• Thin Red Line - Firefighter
  Firefighter
  Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
  
  s
• Thin Silver Line - Corrections officers
• Thin Yellow Line - Security Officers, Loss Prevention Professionals
• Thin Green Line - Federal
  Special agent
  Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
  
  , military
  Military of the United States
  The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
  
  , park ranger
  Park ranger
  A park ranger or forest ranger is a person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. Different countries use different names for the position. Ranger is the favored term in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Within the United...
  
  s
• Thin White Line - Emergency medical services
  Emergency medical services
  Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
  
  . The thin white line differs from other thin lines in that the background is blue instead of black, with a white line crossing horizontally through the middle.
• Thin Blue Line with Lightning Bolt - S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons And Tactics)
  SWAT
  A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
  
  

Controversy

While proponents of the symbol state that the identifier is merely for notifying other officers and/or civilians that the occupant of the vehicle may be law enforcement and possibly armed, opponents have claimed that display of Thin Blue Line emblems is used to gain favoritism from officers, and allege that non-law enforcement officials display the emblem not to show solidarity, but to get immunity from traffic ticket

Traffic ticket

A traffic ticket is a notice issued by a law enforcement official to a motorist or other road user, accusing violation of traffic laws. Traffic tickets generally come in two forms, citing a moving violation, such as exceeding the speed limit, or a non-moving violation, such as a parking violation,...

s. This perception has led to the use of the emblem by people who are not connected with law enforcement for the purpose of gaining its perceived benefits. Some purveyors of "officially authorized" emblems have responded by altering its design and restricting their sale to people giving their department phone number and badge number. The design is now commonly acknowledged as part of the public domain, much like the many designs used in law enforcement such as the 5 point star used in several badge insignias.

External links

• Thin Blue Line Emblem