# Help identify this bumper sticker **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277 "2004-04-10T03:56:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/1 "2004-04-10T03:56:11Z")
I’ve seen this sticker on a number of cars and never paid it much attention, but now I’m curious. It’s a horizontal blue bar running through the middle of a square black field. The cars had nothing in common as far as I could tell, but maybe I’m missing something. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/2 "2004-04-10T20:39:47Z")
_Bump_ If I still don’t get any responses, I’ll let the thread die. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/3 "2004-04-10T20:59:13Z")
Is it only locally you’ve seen them? Maybe they’re an ID sticker. Several of the ‘exclusive’ neighborhoods in my hometown had these stickers (little green trees are one I remember) so if you were parked on their streets at night they could tow your car. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/4 "2004-04-10T21:14:14Z")
I believe it’s a law enforcement official bumper sticker. (It indicates that the driver is in law enforcement, but this is probably his/her private vehicle.) I’ll see if I can find an image of the one I’m thinking of and link to it so you can ID it. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/5 "2004-04-10T21:14:17Z")
I can’t search, but this was asked before, and I think symbolised solidarity with the police. Thin blue line etc. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/6 "2004-04-10T21:18:42Z")
[This](http://www.byrumsequipment.com/pddive01.jpg) is the closest thing I could find on an image search, but they also come with horizontal (as opposed to diagonal) blue rectangles. If this is what you saw (or one like it with the horizontal blue line), it means “police officer on board” (though the police officer may be officially off-duty). ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/7 "2004-04-10T21:22:28Z")
[This site](http://www.cafeshops.com/nwsafety2/116388) verifies it: Thin-blue-line = police Thin-red-line = firefighters Thin-green-line = security ---
**Author:** ![chefIL11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chefIL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefIL11)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/8 "2004-04-10T22:13:14Z")
I noticed on sampiro’s link there is the letter A in the center of the blue line. what does this stand for? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/9 "2004-04-10T22:42:06Z")
I’m not positive but my guess is _Arkansas_. (That particular link is to a supply house for the Arkansas police department.) ---
**Author:** ![libwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@libwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/libwen)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/10 "2004-04-11T01:02:05Z")
> [@Johnnyt27](#): > > I noticed on sampiro’s link there is the letter A in the center of the blue line. what does this stand for? I was thinking _ally_, much like the rainbow stickers for people who support gay rights but aren’t gay. But Arkansas seems likely, too. ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/11 "2004-04-11T02:28:34Z")
Yep, that’s the symbol. Thanks for the responses. So is it solidarity with police, or an indication of being a police officer? ---
**Author:** ![lilfarmgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f9b8f/32.png) [@lilfarmgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilfarmgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-bumper-sticker/239277/12 "2011-05-08T16:39:39Z")
Hi. I know this thread is ancient, but I just wanted to give an informed answer so that everyone knew for certain. It IS a police sticker, and it is for the State of Arkansas. It can be for the officer’s personal vehicle or for his/her spouse. Although I’m sure there are people out there selling frauds/fakes/counterfeits, you can’t get a _real_ decal just anywhere. You have to give your credentials to get one. My husband was a police officer for 27 years (in Arkansas, as a matter of fact). We each have a sticker just like that on our vehicles.