Did you see that blue stripe painted on your neighbor’s curb? What does it mean? Blue lines might just start popping up all over town on people’s curbs as a sign of support for their local police force.
The blue line refers to the term “thin blue line,” which is a reference to police making the difference between a civilized society and anarchy. Placing a thin, blue line on your curb means that you support your local police and other law enforcement officers.
Anthony Welichko, a San Antonio, TX business owner, started the blue line movement after a local police officer was shot in a recent execution. The Safe Harbor movement, as the blue line movement is called, is a grass roots symbol of support, appreciation, and backup of local law enforcement officers serving the neighborhood. Welichko even stated that assaulting a police officer in his neighborhood might be “hazardous to your health.”
Snopes and other online bloggers discovered the Safe Harbor movement on Facebook and had been writing about it online, spreading the word. Facebook support for the thin blue line registered over 65,000 supporters at last count. The movement spread through Texas like wildfire and is now continuing in New York.