The Story Behind These ‘Blue Line’ Flags Around Rockford

These black and white American flags with one blue line have been spotted all over the Stateline area and many are wondering what they mean.

These 'Thin Blue Line' flags were created to honor law enforcement officers in the United Kingdom.

They are now in Canada and across the United States.

In the U.S., the black background with white stripes and stars were added to what was initially a solid black flag with one thin blue line.

The meaning of the flag, according to usflags.com (and everywhere else I searched:

The Blue represents the officer and the courage they find deep inside when faced with insurmountable odds. The Black background was designed as a constant reminder of our fallen brother and sister officers. The Line is what police officers protect, the barrier between anarchy and a civilized society, between order and chaos, between respect for decency and lawlessness. Together they symbolize the camaraderie law enforcement officers all share, a brotherhood like none other.

The flag truly has an interesting backstory, which you can read here. To purchase your own 'Thin Blue Line' flag, click here.