San Francisco police chief bans 'thin blue line' face masks

San Francisco police will wear neutral face coverings to defuse a controversy sparked when officers sent to patrol a protest wore masks adorned with the “thin blue line” flag. Police Chief Bill Scott told officers in an email that he considers the blue flag and stripe “a meaningful expression to honor fallen officers.” but he says some may perceive the symbol as “divisive and disrespectful.” The police union ordered and distributed the masks emblazoned with a dark blue flag with a blue stripe across the middle, a symbol associated with the Blue Lives Matter movement.