(If this sounds familiar, it's because about two years ago, the same thing happened in in Washington DC.)
NYPD Sends Out Official Memo Telling Officers They’re Allowed to Be Photographed, article.
Here is part of what the police (!) wrote to their officers:
Members of the public are legally allowed to record police interactions. Intentional interference such as blocking or obstructing cameras or ordering the person to cease constitutes censorship and also violates the First Amendment.
New York and Washington, fine. But contrast this with what is going on in Chicago suburbs! See: http://www.infowars.com/illinois-citizens-still-being-arrested-for-filming-cops-despite-court-ruling-which-blocked-unconstitutional-law/
ReplyDeleteThe problem is, many cops are basically the dumbest guys you went to high school with. And have a hardon for asserting authority.
ReplyDeleteAnd cops aside, the insane overreaction some people have to a camera pointed in their vicinity continues to amaze me. I think it speaks to an overall narcissism.
Having litigated such an incident 20 + years ago, I can tell you that the "escape clause" for the cops is the phrase " this memo doesn’t give license to a free-for-all. As common sense would dictate, photographers and videographers are still prohibited from interfering with police operations."
ReplyDeleteOK, does your light on your camera "interfere?" Does your mere "presence" interfere? Are you "blocking traffic?" The memo sounds good, but is less than it appears to be. Film Cops doing wrong and you can expect to end up in Court. Or worse.
I think the overreactions to cameras speak loudly of Fear. Every singly person has misdeeds, and the lizard mind thinks the camera can see them.
ReplyDeleteI was in London in 2005. Cops there didn't like being photographed. At least, by non-whites.
ReplyDelete