Sask. Police Commission to review non-uniform symbols worn by Saskatoon police
Sask. Police Commission to review non-uniform symbols worn by Saskatoon police
The Saskatchewan Police Commission is reviewing symbols that officers in Saskatoon can wear after it was determined they couldn't wear the Thin Blue Line patch.
According to a Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) report to the Board of Police Commissioners, officers are not permitted to wear the symbol, a Canadian flag with a thin blue line through it.
The report came after a member of the public became concerned after he witnessed some officers wearing the patch. Chief Troy Cooper says the symbol isn’t prevalent within the force.
“The officers that we did talk to had a really passionate attachment to it for the idea that it was supportive of police, particularly around mental health,” Cooper told CTV News.
Police say the symbol originally symbolized the courage of police officers and devotion to the public.
However, a letter to the commission from Saskatoon resident Graham MacDonald stated the imagery has now become a partisan symbol to some following the Black Lives Matter movement. By wearing it while on duty, officers are making a political statement, compromising their ability to enforce the law without bias, MacDonald said.
Now, other symbols like the Pride flag and Every Child Matters are also under review.
“It was time for us to refine our thinking. The letter raised a problem, quite frankly we did not know the answer to the question,” said Kearney Healy, vice-chair of the board of commissioners.
What officers wear is up to the Saskatchewan Police Commission and the symbol isn’t authorized by legislation. Other police officers in Canada are also dealing with the use of the patch.
“We have a uniform and by its very name it’s supposed to look the same on every person,” Cooper said.
He’s adamant that officers wearing the Thin Blue Line patches didn't mean to make a political statement.
“In the same way officers who are wearing a Pride patch or reconciliation flag. They work with the best of intentions.”
Cooper says the Saskatchewan Police Commission will let them know “very soon” about their decision on wearing symbols on their uniforms, especially with Pride month right around the corner.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Be prepared for delays at any point': Canada not flying alone in worldwide travel chaos
As Canadian airports deal with their own set of problems amid the busy summer travel season, by no means are they alone.

'Incompetence is incalculable': Airport frustrations sour Canadians' summer travel plans
CTVNews.ca asked Canadians to share their travel horror stories as cancelled flights, delays and lost luggage throw a wrench in Canadians' summer travel plans, due in part to staffing shortages at Canadian airports. Some report sleeping at airports and others say it took days to get to or from a destination.
Scene of Saanich, B.C., shooting cleared, businesses reopened, police say
The remaining businesses on Shelbourne Street in Saanich, B.C., that had been closed after last week's shooting at a Bank of Montreal branch have now reopened, police say.
Splintered Ukrainian city braces for new battle with Russia
Slovyansk could become the next major target in Moscow's campaign to take the Donbas region, Ukraine's predominantly Russian-speaking industrial heartland.
Russian ship carrying Ukrainian grain detained by Turkish customs, ambassador says
Turkish customs authorities have detained a Russian cargo ship carrying grain which Ukraine says is stolen, Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey said on Sunday.
Calgary's new 'Museum of Failure' aims to spark creativity
It's been said no one's success is complete without failure, but a new international exhibit in Calgary is proving that even some of the most talented innovators had some of the worst ideas for consumers.
'Ungrading': How one Ontario teacher is changing her approach to report cards
An Ontario high school teacher plans to continue with an alternative method of grading her students after an experiment last semester in which students proposed a grade and had to justify it with examples of their work.
Heavy rains, floods prompt evacuations of Sydney suburbs
Thousands of residents in Sydney suburbs were told to evacuate their homes on Sunday after heavy rains caused floodwaters to rise and rivers to overflow in what authorities called life-threatening emergencies.
Glacier collapses in Italian Alps, killing at least six
Parts of a mountain glacier collapsed in the Italian Alps on Sunday amid record temperatures, local authorities said, killing at least six people and injuring eight.