Thin Blue Line Flag controversy
RIVIERA BEACH (CBS12) — Blue Lives Matter.
A group of police officers say they were told by their captain they could not have police pride flags on their personal cars.
They went to the police union and filed a grievance report.
CBS 12 News obtained the inter-department memo that addressees this issue.
The police departments official response is that the order to take down the flags was never given and that the flags can continue to be displayed, but somehow, some officers thought their rights were being infringed upon.
The flag -- commonly known as the Thin Blue Line-- is the American flag with a stripe symbolizing police officers.
According to Palm Beach County’s Police Benevolent Association, a grievance was filed because a group of officers had the flag on their personal cars.
Those cars are sometimes parked in the city of Riviera Beach's employee parking lot.
The officers say their captain told them the flags could not be displayed.
“The thin blue line –it means that you support law-enforcement, that's universal all across this country,” said Ernie George. George was a cop for 30 years, he is now Executive Director of the Benevolent Association and he says as soon as Riviera Beach PD found out the union had been contacted-- they rescinded the order --things didn't have to escalate through formal channels.
“We were very happy with the outcome because usually cities don't respond until we make them do it --so we were happy with the response,” George added.
