Brooklyn Center police are flying a blue line flag outside the station right now

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

[Ocelot II]

1. That's *not* going to help.

[Budi]

2. "We have a Minnesota police problem"

Link to tweet

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. I'd say we have a police problem, but I'd be repeating myself.

[Budi]

9. Why do they keep doing this!!!

I wanna hear them answer that question.
Why.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

10. Because it's an inherently oppressive system. Feature, not a bug.

[Budi]

12. Traffic cops should only be equipped with tasers then.

Since this one claims to not have been able to tell the f'ing difference. (Lie)

Take their weapons away other than one damned taser & a radio for backup.

When a human life means nothing to them, then disarm them.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

18. Better yet, cops shouldn't be doing vehicle stops.

[Miguelito Loveless]

3. This is the police saying,

"We will kill whoever we want, whenever we want, for whatever reason we want, even no reason at all."

[2naSalit]

28. That's it.

[MontanaMama]

4. Way to make this worse.

Good grief. Common sense anyone?

[Karadeniz]

5. Should a political flag be on the same pole as the national flag?

[NutmegYankee]

21. The blue line with black background flag is not poltiical.

The one with a black and white American flag is.

[rgbecker]

30. Yeah, right!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_blue_line

WTF?

[NutmegYankee]

32. The plain black background flag is only used by law enforcement.

It is a registered trademark by USPTO and cannot be sold outside of police stores. It symbolizes support for police and identifies the person as part of the police family. The other versions (like the black and white US flag), that you often see on a trumper humper pole are associated with political movements and racial animosity.


The black with blue line sticker is on every car in my family because I have immediate family serving as police and has been there for about 14 years. If you really want to make the accusation that that sticker is racist, you are literally calling a (Big D) Democratic family racist.

Please proceed.

[rgbecker]

33. You and your family are definitely not racist, let's be clear.

The flag does seem to be readily available to the general public, racists and non racists alike for about $30.

https://www.amazon.com/SolarMax-WindStrong%C2%AE-Reinforced-Finished-American/dp/B014GAURYS/ref=sr_1_39?dchild=1&keywords=police+flags&qid=1618270148&sr=8-39

Just want to thank you for your and your family's service. Anarchy without the police for sure.

[NutmegYankee]

34. It doesn't surprise me that counterfeit flags are available.

Our trademark system is based on self enforcement through lawsuits. Amazon is filled with cheap knockoffs of everything imaginable.

It's a tough time for police families. My family chose to fly the Black Lives Matter banner last summer despite disapproval from other officers families. I can very critical of police actions (and have caught hell for it at Thanksgiving), and am opposed to many modern drug war tactics like "no knock" and SWAT raids unless a real threat can be proven, but also recognize that threats are out there in any traffic stop. Officers can be shot by someone of any race or political ideology for a whole lot of disparate reasons. Even otherwise clean law abiding people can make suddenly horrific decisions and choose to attack an officer because they are afraid of arrest. It sucks.

[bahboo]

6. fuck them....

[Grins]

7. Sense of optics: ZERO

How effing stupid can you be? DURING a trial for a cop for homicide? And another recent cop shooting..?

Didn’t ANYONE in that department think, “‘Ya know...maybe this isn’t the right time...”

They are their own worst enemies.

[FSogol]

11. Exactly. Instead of being public servants, they think they are at war with the public.

Fire the entire department and start from scratch with a public service mentality.

[TDale313]

13. They inflame rather than de-escalate the situation

In so many circumstances

[berniesandersmittens]

15. Yes they do.

They're taunting their own community. (Oh yeah...and killing them too)

Effing jerks

[Jirel]

20. These are EXACTLY the optics they were after.

Don't kid yourself. They're a gang of armed thugs, and they're strutting. They're all behind Chauvin, and they're all about intimidation then and now. They're looking to incite more violence, then whine to the media when their escalation inflames people who are exhausted by dealing with death after death.

[uponit7771]

24. Nah, they know the message they're sending. Looks like that city needs a new city manager who is

... in charge of that PD

[2naSalit]

29. +1

[soothsayer]

14. Jeezus

[bluestarone]

16. They will NOY say who

ordered that flag up. ( i bet)

[PatSeg]

17. How on earth is THAT so suppose to help?

What are they thinking? Or are they thinking?

[Jirel]

19. Because OF COURSE they are.

How easily they drop the pretense that they're there to protect and serve. They're an armed gang, and they need to be broken, starting with their unions.

[TheRealNorth]

22. I was kind of giving the Police the benefit of the doubt....

But if it walks and talks like a racist pig....

While I don't condone vandalism, if they were to tear that fucking abomination down (the blue line flag), I will make an exception.

[NutmegYankee]

23. That flag is the "real" police flag. (black background, blue stripe)

And it has probably been up there for years just like most military facilities fly a POW MIA flag.

[TheRealNorth]

25. Thats good to know

I don't recall seeing that flag (i do recall the POW flags). But shouldn't the State of MN flag be flying below the stars & stripes?

[NutmegYankee]

26. Only if the state mandated it.

Often the state flag flies on a separate pole.

A Google street view from Sep 2019 appears to show the US flag and the blue line, though there is no wind.

[rgbecker]

31. Let's read up about this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_blue_line

[Kaleva]

35. I think you are correct. That flag has been fling there for quite some time most likely.

[PortTack]

27. Geez..not helpful!!