By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
A public display of support for law enforcement has been deemed a violation of federal highway regulations by the federal Department of Transportation, prompting local and state officials to stand in defense of the display., In recent months, municipalities like Manalapan, Marlboro and Hillsborough have taken to painting a blue centerline between the solid yellow lines of some public roadways as a way to show support for their local police., According to officials, the blue centerline represents the “thin blue line” of law enforcement, while one yellow line represents the public and the other yellow line represents those that may victimize the public. The premise behind the symbolism is that law enforcement is what stands between violence and criminal activity and the law abiding citizens., Similar shows of support have been making the rounds as tensions between law enforcement and disenfranchised portions of the population have reached often bloody conclusions., While the practice was generally seen as a net positive for the communities involved, a December 8 letter from the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Transportation Operations Director Mark R. Kehrli argued that the display violated the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways.”, In the letter, addressed to Somerset County Engineer Matthew D. Loper, Mr. Kehrli determined that the “thin blue line” could be confusing to motorists, since the color blue is generally used on pavement to delineate between regular and handicapped parking spots., “There are many appropriate and fitting ways to recognize service to the public that do not involve the modification of a traffic control device, which can put the road user at risk due to misinterpretation of its meaning,” Mr. Kehrli wrote. “It is therefore critical that the uniformity of pavement markings be maintained so as to present a consistent message that accommodates the expectancy of road users.”, Though Mr. Loper declined to comment on the ruling, he said he initially reached out to the Department of Transportation after some municipalities asked to paint a blue line down the middle of some county roadways., Back in October, Hillsborough Township held a special commemorative event to unveil their “Thin Blue Line.”, Now, months after the fact, Hillsborough Business Administrator Anthony Ferrera said the township was confident that their display was safe from the FHA’s determination., “I think we are much different (than other municipalities) in that this is not on a public road,” he said. “We did do our homework and recognized that this could have been seen that way.”, In Hillsborough, the blue line stretches from the one end of Veterans Way in front of the Peter J. Biondi Municipal Building to the far side, running parallel to the front parking lot., Originally, Mr. Ferrera said there was some consideration to paint the blue line on a public roadway, but concerns from Police Chief Darren Powell, among other officials, caused the township to find “a more appropriate location.”, “We did our due diligence up front and we wanted to make sure that we did what we felt was important and right,” Mr. Ferrera said. “We absolutely wanted to make sure that it was in the right place and would not impact any traffic or incur any type of violations.”, Though officials in Hillsborough said they were not worried about the federal agency’s decision, some state lawmakers sounded off against the ruling, citing the meaning behind the display., “It seems that, yet again, the federal government is out of touch with everyday Americans,” Assemblyman Erik Peterson (R-Hunterdon) said. “A simple show of support for the men and women of law enforcement has needlessly been brought into question.”, Republican Senators Tom Kean Jr. (R-Union, Morris, Somerset) and Chris “Kip” Bateman (R-Somerset, Mercer, Hunterdon, Middlesex) also voiced their discontent with the FHA’s ruling., “The response from the Federal Highway Administration is an overreaction to a very important local matter,” Senator Chris “Kip” Bateman (R-Somerset, Mercer, Hunterdon, Middlesex) said. “If we can’t support something as simple as the ‘thin blue line,’ what kind of message does that show to our police officers?”, Senator Kean called the work of a police officer a “thankless job” in his response, describing the decision to paint a blue center line in a municipality as strictly a local issue., “If a town chooses to honor (law enforcement officials) for their service, they should have the ability to do so,” he said.
