‘I did not criticize the police:’ NJ mayor makes decision to paint over Blue Line supporting police

The mayor of Flemington's decision to paint over the Blue Line supporting police in her town is supported by some, but has others very upset.

News 12 Staff

Jun 9, 2020, 4:24 PM

Updated 1,680 days ago

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The mayor of Flemington's decision to paint over the Blue Line supporting police in her town is supported by some, but has others very upset.
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"I did not criticize the police,” says Mayor Betsy Driver. “We have an excellent police department here in Flemington, New Jersey."
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Mayor Driver posted a photo on her Twitter Saturday morning. Just hours before a Black Lives Matter protest took place in her town, she had a DPW employee cover the blue line in front of the police station, saying, “This morning before most of Flemington woke up, I had the divisive blue line running down Main Street painted over. It's time we put that shameful dividing line behind us.”
"When I became mayor 18 months ago, it was one of my goals that I wanted to get rid of that line because even before I was involved in local government, I had heard from many people who were very disturbed by it,” says Mayor Driver.

The mayor says she spoke with Flemington's police chief before making the decision, and then had it covered. It’s a decision New Jersey's State PBA President Patrick Colligan questions.

"Look, it's a show of support for local law-enforcement,” says Colligan. “She decided to wake up one morning and send a DPW before anybody woke up on her own accord and paint it over. Leaving it there I don't think would've brought any harm to it or would've brought any attention to it but now we're in broiled in another, in Flemington, New Jersey, were embroiled in a law-enforcement dispute."

The mayor says the controversy in town between supporting Black Lives Matter and the Blue Line started long before she took office, but as mayor, she decided to make the decision while continuing to fully support the police department.