STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- In an apparent show of support for police officers, eye witnesses say a man was seen painting a blue line on an Annadale street.
The blue line that spans about 15 feet sits in between two white street markers on the 700 block of Drumgoole Road West.
Neighbors who spoke to the Advance/SILive.com said that they don’t know who painted the line but support the action.
“If (Mayor Bill) de Blasio could paint lines where ever he wants, why can’t this person do it?’' said one woman who asked to remain anonymous. “I agree with what he did.”
Other neighbors explained that the neighborhood is home to many civil servants and police officers.
“Just look around, the block is lined with American flags and the thin blue line flags,’' one said. “It could’ve been anyone.” The man went on to point to a plethora of houses that are owned by police officers.
When asked about a picture of the man painting the line that was obtained by the Advance, neighbors told a reporter that the man was a resident of the neighborhood, but they couldn’t say who it was.
The show of support comes after a blue line painted outside the 122 Precinct in New Dorp was defaced by a Black Lives Matter supporter and after the artist who painted the line received a cease and desist letter from the city.
Earlier this summer, in response to nationwide racial injustice protests and riots, de Blasio announced one street in every borough would be renamed “Black Lives Matter” and the roadway would be painted to match the sign.
In July, City Hall confirmed that the mayor would not allow pro-police groups to paint “Blue Lives Matter” near the NYPD headquarters in Lower Manhattan.