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The Thin Blue Flag existed first:

History and Hypocrisy: The Thin Blue Line Debate
Posted on February 22, 2019 by Staff Writer
Trying to make heads or tails of pretty much any issue nowadays is virtually impossible. The internet has become more about the headlines and click-bait than about facts; and even when readers do take the time read a few paragraphs, the amount of unvetted opinion passed off as gospel is astounding. Hell, you can’t even go on WebMD without walking away thinking you have every form of cancer.

And so it goes with the debate over the ‘Thin Blue Line’.

The concept of the ‘The Thin Blue Line’ dates back as far as 1911, when it was used by the US Army, which wore blue uniforms until the end of the 19th Century. In fact, even earlier than that, the British Army used their own version in the Battle of Balaclava (1854 – Crimean War), calling themselves the ‘Thin RED Line’, naturally representing their uniforms.

The first real usage of the ‘Thin Blue Line’ as it applies to law enforcement didn’t show up until the 1950’s. Los Angeles Police Department Chief William H. Parker adopted the phrase to refer to his police department. Now, full disclosure, the LAPD of the 1950’s was full of corruption and police abuse of authority. Chief Parker launched an internal investigation that, in total, transferred fifty four officers and suspended thirty nine. Eight of the suspended officers were later charged with felony assault and five were convicted.

While no model is ever perfect, under Chief Parker’s leadership, the LAPD began to live up to what he had envisioned: a unit of policemen, with military bearing, protecting citizens from chaos and harm.

In 1962, the Massachusetts State government used the ‘Thin Blue Line’ when referring the Massachusetts State Police, inspired by their handling of anti-nuclear demonstrations in the state.

By the 1970’s, police departments all over the United States were adopting the moniker. In 1988, Errol Morris directed a documentary film called “The Thin Blue Line”. The film detailed the murder of Dallas Police Officer Robert W. Wood and the subsequent trial of his accused killer. Judge Don Metcalfe recalled the prosecutor’s words in his closing argument: “Doug Mulder’s final argument was one I’d never heard before; about the ‘thin blue line’ of police that separate the public from anarchy”.

https://www.odmp.org/officer/14460-officer-robert-william-wood

Since that time, the color blue has been used, in some regard, to associate with law enforcement, both by sworn and civilian. Even the TV/Movie industry capitalized on the usage: “NYPD Blue”, “Hill Street Blues”, “Blue Bloods”, “Rookie Blue” and on and on. During the 2017 National Police Week in Washington, DC, President Trump illuminated the White House the color blue to honor the sacrifices of both the fallen and those who continue to serve.

For a police officer, the concept is simple: we very literally are that blue line that Prosecutor Mulder spoke about, keeping the predators from the prey. While a direct correlation can be drawn from the over-whelming amount of police uniforms that are some variation of the color blue, I assert that there is a deeper meaning. Law enforcement, today, is made up of every race, sex and religion. For the hours that are spent on the clock and at work, we don’t identify as anything other than the patch on our sleeve and the shield on our chest. We are not black, white, hispanic, asian, male, female, Christian, Muslim Jewish or any of that. We are BLUE.

“Traditionally, the Blue Line Flag is represented by a blue line running horizontally across a black background. In 2014, Thin Blue Line USA, located in Michigan, redesigned the flag, creating a variation of the subdued 13-stripe American Flag, raising funds for the families of fallen officers.”

https://www.brothersbeforeothers.org/history-and-hypocrisy-the-thin-blue-line-debate/