MANDEL: Durham cops told to remove 'Support our Troops' decals
Author of the article:Michele Mandel
Publishing date:Apr 14, 2021 • 11 hours ago • 3 minute read • 42 Comments
Durham Police brass have ordered yellow 'Support Our Troops' ribbon decals be taken off the force's cruisers.
Durham Police brass have ordered yellow 'Support Our Troops' ribbon decals be taken off the force's cruisers. PHOTO BY TORONTO SUN STAFF /Toronto Sun
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For the first time in 15 years, Durham Regional Police vehicles have been stripped of their yellow “Support our Troops” decals and officers have been ordered to remove their lapel pins.
The new directive has drawn the ire of both past and present members of DRPS.
In an internal service-wide memo obtained by the Toronto Sun, the interim deputy chief said consultations have led them to enact their new policy.
“The wearing of the Yellow Ribbon pin became symbolic as a source of support from our service for our military troops in active combat, as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attack,” reads the March 4 directive from Joseph Maiorano.
“This campaign is completed. Our wearing of this pin will no longer be part of our uniform dress and the Yellow Ribbon symbol will no longer be affixed on our police vehicles.”
According to police association president Colin Goodwin, the surprising decision was presented without any form of consultation and has angered many, including members who are veterans of missions in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as those who served as UN peacekeepers in other parts of the world.
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“They’re very disappointed,” he said. “There’s always been a close connection between the police and the military, both are putting yourself out there to protect other people.”
The idea for the cruiser decals dates back to 2006 after DRPS officers spontaneously attended every Hwy. 401 ramp in Durham Region to pay tribute to fallen soldiers who were being transported from CFB Trenton to Toronto.
“We expressed our disappointment to the chief,” said Goodwin. “It’s the chief’s decision to make, but I hope the service changes its mind, and we go back to putting them on our cruisers.”
Retired sergeant Tom Andrews calls it a ridiculous decision.
“Perhaps the good folks at the top could explain their reasoning to all the parents and loved ones who have their sons and daughters currently in far off lands, serving our country placing themselves in harm’s way?”
In a complaint filed with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, Andrews argued the directive reflects badly on the 10th-largest police service in Canada.
“There is nothing offensive nor politically charged in the symbolic yellow ribbon. It is a neutral symbol supporting our members of the Canadian Armed Forces who are currently deployed around the world,” he wrote. “It is a display of respect and appreciation.
“The Highway of Heroes flows through the entire Durham region,” he continued. “Is the DRPS executive leadership team going to next have heavy black plastic bags placed over these signs based on their failed and flawed reasoning?”
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The DRPS did not respond to a request for comment.
The internal police directive also bans the wearing of any non-issued pins, tie-tacks, clips and patches as a personal expression of support for a particular cause or community group.
“Now is the time to put our individual expressions aside and stand together as one unified team, consistent in appearance and in service to our community,” the notice says.
Andrews says the decision stems from the recent controversy that has raged over wearing the “Thin Blue Line” patch, seen by some as a symbol of ‘us versus them’ police solidarity that has been recently hijacked, especially in the U.S., by white nationalist groups.
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Wearing the insignia, which depicts a black and white Canadian flag with a blue stripe through the middle, has been recently banned by the RCMP and Ottawa Police.
But extending the policy to include the removal of police-issued “Support our Troops” decals and pins is “political correctness run amok,” Andrews argues.
“Why throw the baby out with the bathwater?” he asks. “What were they thinking?”
mmandel@postmedia.com
Durham Regional Police vehicles have been stripped of their yellow "Support our Troops" decals.
torontosun.com