LAPD chief removes ‘Thin Blue Line’ flags after ONE complaint, gets ripped by police union

The chief of the Los Angeles Police Department is taking verbal fire from some of his own officers after he caved on a demand from a single L.A. resident to remove the “Thin Blue Line” flag denoting respect and honor for law enforcement from all precinct offices in the city.

Chief Michel Moore said that while he disagreed with the community member’s complaint, he went on to say that the flag’s “display in our public lobbies can be divisive,” according to a report by Fox11 in L.A.

In a statement, Moore said the public was being brainwashed by leftists into seeing the flag and law enforcement in general as negative influences in society, despite facts to prove otherwise.

“It’s unfortunate that extremist groups have hijacked the use of the ‘Thin Blue Line Flag’ to symbolize their undemocratic, racist, and bigoted views,” the statement read. “Flags serve as powerful symbols with specific meanings. The ‘Thin Blue Line Flag’ to me presents the honor, valor, dedication, and sacrifice of law enforcement to protect our communities. Tragically, that view is not universally held and others have been able to persuade the public it symbolizes racist, bigoted and oppressive values.”

The chief went on to say that LAPD officers and staff will still be permitted to keep “Thin Blue Line Flag” materials and symbols in their “workspace, locker door, and personal vehicles,” according to the local outlet, which added: “Memorials for fallen officers will also be authorized in all public spaces.”

“Given our lobbies should be places that people feel safe, free of political ideology, and welcoming, it remains our long-standing policy that only official items be displayed,” Moore’s statement noted further.

Just the News also reported:

Moore also said the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) expressed disappointment in his decision to remove the flag. The union group, which represents police officers, called the decision  “political pandering” and said people like the one who lodged the complaint have far too much power over the many, and for all the wrong reasons.

“It is difficult to express the level of utter disgust and disappointment with Chief Moore’s politically pandering directive to remove Thin Blue Line flags and memorials for fallen officers from all public areas within our police stations,” the Board of directors for the Los Angeles Police Protective League wrote in a statement, according to Fox News Digital. “This direction came as a result of complaints from anti-police, criminal apologists, and activists who hold too much sway over our city leaders and, unfortunately, our Chief.”

This comes as many cities, including Los Angeles, have become inundated with a rise in criminal activity, thanks to the election of far-left district attorneys backed by billionaire leftist and destroyer of societies George Soros, who helped finance Los Angeles County DA George Gascon’s successful candidacy.

In a recent op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Soros said he won’t be cutting back funding anytime soon.

“I have supported the election (and more recently the re-election) of prosecutors who support reform. I have done it transparently, and I have no intention of stopping,” he wrote.

“Our system is rife with injustices that make us all less safe. The idea that we need to choose between justice and safety is false,” he claimed, in spite of hard evidence that crime has gone up significantly in cities whose DAs he helped put into office that have reduced law enforcement by curbing prosecutions and seeking far less jail time for a range of offenses, all of which have encouraged more lawbreaking and mayhem.

“They reinforce each other: If people trust the justice system, it will work. And if the system works, public safety will improve,” he wrote.

“Some politicians and pundits have tried to blame recent spikes in crime on the policies of reform-minded prosecutors. The research I’ve seen says otherwise,” Soros lied.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

FoxLA.com

JustTheNews.com