The Thin Blue Line Web Site started it's life
around seven years ago under the name of the Far South Coast LAC.
The site was the product of many hours of work and was at one
stage part of the NSW Police Service web site, but due to some
very difficult times with a certain department of the NSW Police
Service, the site was removed from their server and hosted with a
local server here on the Far South Coast.
What was then known as The Far South Coast LAC site, then grew
into a larger and more complex site taking in the whole South
Eastern Region and all the five Local Area Commands within it.
This had never been done before and even today you will not find
any web site that covers a whole Region of the NSW Police Service,
not even the main NSW Police Service web site.
I thought about more improvements to the site and decided that I
would start covering more police related topics that people had
requested information about, hence the site grew, it now runs
around the 58 megs in size and still growing.
Early last year I decided that due to the fact that the
information within the site was related not only to one
Region, but was related to all Regions and Police throughout NSW,
it was time for a name change........hence THE THIN BLUE LINE was
born.
I have just revamped the whole site with a 'new
look' and hope to have it on line by the 1st January 2002. I thank
everyone for their past support and hope that you will keep coming
back from time to time for more 'new' updates. I would also like
to point out that this site is a one man effort and is not
sponsored by anyone in anyway whatsoever. There is, (nor will
there ever be), any charge for any Police Related matter that
appears on this site.
Sunday 28th
June 2002 at 4pm, the Thin Blue Line Forum was born.
The aim of this Forum is to assist students and others who are, or
will be, studying to become police officers in the NSW Police. The
site is at present being used by these people as a 'research and
information' resource.
Another added
feature about this site was a letter received from The State NSW
Library on the 25/06/2002 as follows:
The State Library of New South Wales aims to build
a comprehensive collection of New South Wales publications to
ensure that the people of this state have access to their
documentary heritage now and in the future. The Library has
traditionally collected items in print, but it is also committed
to preserving electronic publications of lasting cultural value.
The State Library has recently become a partner in
the National Library of Australia's PANDORA Archive. This is an
electronic facility which enables the archiving and provision of
long term access to online Australian publications.
Information about PANDORA (Preserving and Accessing
Networked Documentary Resources of Australia) and access to the
archive may be obtained through the Web site at http://pandora.nla.gov.au/index.html.
We would like to include your website, The
Thin Blue Line in the PANDORA
Archive as it contains valuable historical and current
information. I would be grateful if you would let me know
whether you are willing to permit us to do so. We have
provided a small form at the end of the message for your
convenience.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Yours faithfully,
Helen Halfpenny
Senior Library Technician,
Collection Services
State Library of New South Wales
Macquarie Street
Sydney NSW 2000
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12 September 2002
Letter received from the Executive Support Group NSW
Police informing me that it has been brought to their attention that
this web-site uses certain 'police insignia' as is defined in
section 203 of the Police Act 1990.
Section 203 (8) of the Act defines 'police insignia' as follows:
(a) any items (being insignia, emblems, logos, devices,
accoutrements and other things) that are generally recognised as
pertaining to NSW Police or as being used by police officers, or
(b) any parts of any such items, or
(c) any reasonable imitation of any such items or parts, or
(d) any thing or class of thing prescribed by the regulations as
being within this definition (whether or not it may already be
within this definition), and includes police uniforms, but does not
include any thing or class of thing prescribed by the regulations as
being outside this definition.
Non-compliance with section 203 is an offence, having a maximum
of 100 penalty units or imprisonment for 6 months, or both.
It appears that these people are concerned that the use of police
insignia on this site gives an impression to a person looking at it
that it is in some way associated with or connected with or endorsed
by the NSWP, additionally or in the alternative, such use of the
insignia on the site gives an impression to such persons that a
particular product or service is in some way associated with the
NSWP or sponsored or endorsed by the NSWP .
It is a known fact that this site is the product of one person,
and its clearly stated on the main index page that this site is the
Unofficial NSW Police Site and that's its not affiliated with the
NSW Police in any way. I am at a loss as to why anyone would have
any other impression other than that.
The letter also states that the NSWP as a matter of policy, does
not sponsor or endorse the product or service of other persons and
does not permit use of the police insignia except in the most
exceptional circumstances. The NSWP has its own website, it does not
propose to permit persons to use or continue using the police
insignia on non-NSWP sites.
This website operates without any sponsor, nor endorsement from
any person other than myself. It was designed as an information source
for those people interested in information regarding the NSW Police
Force, information that is freely available to anyone. Yet, as a resource
and information site, I cannot display any insignia to do with the
subject that the site is about. I have been instructed to remove
such things as the Safety House Logo, CrimeStoppers Logo, Police
Chaplaincy badge, and the Police Crest.................because I
need to get permission to use them.
It seems that my website and its information are more of a priority
than other things such as crime and the threat of terrorists striking
somewhere in the heart of Sydney, or porn being sent via the
internet.................but that's the way it is, the site will be revamped
and the request from the NSW Police Executive Support Group will be
met.
17 November 2002
Permission has been granted by the New South Wales Police Force Executive Support Group
allowing the use of Police Insignia on The Thin Blue Line website. I
would like to thank those people responsible for making this request
possible, and a special thank you to Sean Crumlin, (Chair Web
Council), for his support throughout this matter, I appreciate it
very much.
w
Enjoy your visit.
Ian Hunter
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