A Wisconsin police chief banned officers from sporting 'thin blue line' imagery while on duty

• A Wisconsin police chief has banned officers from displaying "thin blue line" imagery while on duty.
• In an email to staff, she said the image had been "co-opted" by "extremists."
• She also acknowledged that some of the rioters at the US Capitol were waving the symbol.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Police chief has banned staff from displaying "thin blue line imagery" while on duty, according to a statement from the department.

Chief Kristen Roman said in a January 15 email to staff that she made the decision to distance the department from the symbol due to "the fear and mistrust that it currently evokes for too many in our community."

She said the thin blue line flag has been "co-opted" by "extremists" who do not represent the values of UWPD. She also acknowledged that some of the rioters who violently attacked the US Capitol on January 6 were waving the symbol. A police officer died in the attack.

"Attempts I've made to point to distinctions and true meaning as well as denounce acts committed under the thin blue line banner nationally continue to fall short in ways I can't simply ignore," Roman said.

She also said distancing from the flag would help build trust within the community and therefore create a safer environment for police officers as well.

Read more: There's a reckoning coming for the congressional police force that allowed the worst breach of the US Capitol since the British burned the building down in 1814

The ban is effectively immediately, but makes an exception for visible tattoos, which do not need to be covered. There may also be exceptions made for some events, such as line-of-duty death observances.

The decision came months after the UWPD issued a statement saying it received complaints after a photo was shared to social media that showed a thin blue line flag displayed in the department.

"To many within and outside of the police profession, it symbolizes a commitment to public service and the countless selfless sacrifices willingly made to honor that commitment," Roman said. "But like many things in our society, we understand the imagery of the thin blue line has evolved to mean different things to different people."