Blue Line Is A ‘White Supremacist' Symbol, Holmdel Committee Says

HOLMDEL, NJ - A township committee resolution once called it a “universal symbol to law enforcement.” But some Holmdel residents are calling the thin blue line painted on Crawford Corners Road a symbol appropriated "by white supremacists groups … making some members of our community feel unwelcome and even threatened."

The blue line has been a fixture in Holmdel since 2016, when the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders passed a resolution to paint the quarter-mile blue strip between Holmdel High School and Holmdel Municipal Court. The painted stripe is a symbol used in several communities to show support for local law enforcement, although its meaning has been interpreted in different ways. While the line is considered by some to be a metaphor for the ability for police officers to separate good from bad, critics of the symbol have said that the line represents an "us vs. them" dynamic that furthers tensions between police and citizens.

The blue stripe began to draw controversy last summer as the death of George Floyd sparked a national conversation about race and police relations in America. A petition to remove the line, as well as a counter-petition to keep the symbol, each amassed hundreds of signatures in 2020.

The controversial line eventually served as the catalyst that prompted the creation of an ad hoc Holmdel Township Human Relations Committee last summer to address large-scale concerns about racism and discrimination in the township. The purpose of the committee, as detailed in its initial findings report, is to recommend policies, procedures and practices that will “aid in the prevention and elimination of all types of discrimination including discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry or marital status.”

After a review of the blue line issue, the committee issued the following recommendation as part of its initial findings report:

“Regardless of the town’s original intent, it is clear that the line means something different today to many. The symbol has been appropriated by white supremacists groups and the Blue Line now has the effect of making some members of our community feel unwelcome, and even threatened, in Holmdel. The HRC finds this impact unacceptable. It should not be ignored that the blue line flag was carried alongside Confederate flags and Nazi insignia by the insurrectionists who breached our nation’s Capitol on Jan. 6, 2020. The HRC therefore recommends that the Holmdel Township Committee abstain from maintaining Holmdel’s Blue Line," the report reads.

“When it comes time for the section of Crawfords Corner Road that contains the blue line to be repaved, we recommend to the governing body that the blue line not be replaced. We advise that our roads only be marked for the purposes of traffic safety.”

The Human Relation Committee’s report also calls for the restoration of Holmdel’s historic African American cemetery, the implementation of regular town hall meetings and the creation of a summary of Holmdel’s relevant policies to combat bias-based policing in addition to the phase-out of the blue line once Crawfords Corner Road is repaved - road work that could be completed as early as this spring. Read more: Holmdel's Crawfords Corner Road Set For Repairs This Spring

Similar symbols in Marlboro, Woodbridge and Middletown have evolved into equally divisive issues among residents.

Patch spoke to Holmdel resident Eileen Huang, a current Yale University student, who started the Change.org petition in June calling for the removal of the line:

"I started the petition because I was frustrated to see such an intrinsically anti-Black symbol on the streets of my primarily white, conservative hometown," Huang told Patch in June. "Though local officials had expressed that this line was painted out of "support" for law enforcement, I had known that this line—painted in fall 2016—and the "Blue Lives Matter" movement was a direct response to the Black Lives Matter movement that minimizes the harm attempted to erase the reality of police brutality against communities of color."

In response to growing conversations around Holmdel’s blue line Mayor Greg Buontempo released a statement on the Holmdel Republicans Party Facebook page last summer, referencing Huang’s petition:

"I unequivocally support the Holmdel Police Department and all law enforcement officers," the mayor said. "In 2016 the blue line was painted on Crawfords Corner Road as a show of honor and respect for the work of these brave individuals. Four years ago this measure was done with no racist intent and I reject any claim that it did. While today we are having a national discussion on race relations in our country, my support for the men and women who protect us every day is unfaltering.”

Holmdel residents are encouraged to use this form to submit both specific reactions to the committee's report as well as offer suggestions for further discussions and recommendations.