Photography a Crime

[idcrewdawg]

So I've been a member of the facebook group "I'm a Photographer, Not a Terrorist!" for a few months now. Most of the articles have been about this trend in the UK. It seems to also have taken hold here in the US.

Article Link

In response to a flood of Facebook and YouTube videos that depict police abuse, a new trend in law enforcement is gaining popularity. In at least three states, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer.

Even if the encounter involves you and may be necessary to your defense, and even if the recording is on a public street where no expectation of privacy exists.

[Murtasma]

The times are changing, there is very little we can do unfortunately.

[BCampbell]

None of these cases are out of litigation yet. No doubt that if convicted, these will move up the chain of the court system. I'd check back when any of them have made the rounds a bit more.

[Tyler]

Honestly, this really scares me. I'd like an answer to the question from the comments on the article:

Does this go both ways? If the police use a camera to record me committing a crime, can I claim equal protection and say I never concented?

[Indigo November]

Does anyone know what 12 states this is illegal in? It, doesn't say in the article....

[Raoul Isidro]

'In at least three states, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer."

What could prevent this law from being amended to include elected officials, court proceedings, rituals, etc? Again, the number one force to champion against these draconian measures, are not only the people, but the Camera Manufacturers themselves! After all, who would want to buy a camera if it were illegal to use almost anywhere?

[LeeR]

I certainly understand the problems the police are facing. Incidents like the Rodney King beating where the public reacts to part of the scene (the only part recorded) without knowing the background has caused grief and embarrassement among our finest. A clear case of "Text without context is pretext." I can certainly see why the FOP and other unions would want to see these laws passed and why congressmen would want to pass them. However, I seriously doubt these will stand constitutional scrutiny once challenge in court.
There is an old saying that while many of us like eating sausage we would be better off it we didn't see how it was made. Likewise, police work is often far from glamorous and sometimes downright ugly. Cameras have brought this to light in a new way and it is not the police or photographers that need to change but a hyper sensitive public that was hoping for peace without cost.

[kuvahmagh]

This is ridiculous, we as a community put our faith in these people to do their job in a professional manner and pay them for it. I understand that it can be frustrating for them to arrest someone and have the courts turn into a revolving door but going to the opposite end of police abuse/brutality as a response is completely inappropriate and then arresting those that document such actions is absurd.

I'm glad I live in Canada where no such laws like this exist, afaik. This is however a very slippery slope into police states etc, 1984 here we come...

[Rolling Stone]

I think I'll wait to see what the Supreme Court says, if it gets that far, before I panic.

[Woody]

It is a sad indictment on society when police have to use illegal force to do their work. (and not be accountable for it).

I am also disillusioned when I read articles like the one below.

Red Cross says doctors helped CIA torture | Reuters

This smacks of the Nazis in 1940. I thought we had moved past this.
However it is the public (you and me) who can stand against this. Are we brave enough (or wealthy enough) to take on these laws and continue to record contempory events around us. What will the galleries and museums have in a hundred years if we dont. Maybe just some sanitised photoshopped snapshot of life.

Cheers,

John W