ARLINGTON — Within the first half-hour, the volunteer crew of firefighters, parents and other community members at Presidents Elementary had applied blue stripes to 50 vehicles.
The swatches of blue duct tape, laid down on the motorists’ rear windows after a thorough Windex cleaning job, are meant to show their solidarity with law enforcement, both locally and across the country.
Arlington Fire Chief Bruce Stedman explained that all of his firefighters voluntarily adopted the blue stripes on their vehicles and badges, and the Presidents Elementary PTA volunteered to help them apply blue striping to civilians’ cars July 29.
“My firefighters, these parents and the vast majority of the whole country support the police, and we’ve been frustrated because we didn’t know what we could do to show our support,” Stedman said. “We want law enforcement to feel how we feel about them.”
Stedman condemned the recent rise in police shootings, and noted that law enforcement, along with firefighters and the military, routinely put their lives on the line for the public.
“We need to support each other,” Stedman said. “When I was Arlington’s public safety director, I got to know our police officers. They absolutely deserve this show of support. They’re a great group of dedicated, committed individuals, even though I have no idea how you could recruit anyone to do that job these days.”
Stephanie Snook, an administrative assistant with the fire department, coordinated the blue stripe event with Kimberly Casteel, secretary of the Presidents Elementary PTA and K-9 support volunteer for Arlington police.
Seven firefighters, including the chief and assistant chief, turned out with spray bottles and rolls of duct tape, as did nine PTA members, plus a handful of their kids and other adults.
“Our goal is to bring the police and the community closer together,” Casteel said. “It’s important to create a strong relationship between the schools and the police. I love our police department and police officers, but it can be hard to find ways to thank them.”
