Montreal police (SPVM) released a new dress code for officers Tuesday morning, and the controversial “thin blue line” patch is being retired.
Police Chief Fady Dagher unveiled a new SPVM badge to honour fallen officers.
The new blue, black and gold badge features the SPVM logo in the centre of a circle, with a beaver on each side and the words “fallen but never forgotten.”
The police force calls the new patch part of a “modernized and neutral” outfit. It will come into effect in the fall.
The thin blue line symbol is widely seen as an “us versus them” mentality within police ranks.
“The Thin Blue Line crest has been a critical topic in discussions about the new dress and maintenance procedure. Through the numerous discussions that Chief Dagher had with his police officers, it appeared essential that they be able to wear a badge that allows them to honour the memory of their sisters and brothers who died in the line of duty,” the SPVM said in a news release.