FILMING THE POLICE

[Duchess]

Is it against the law to film the police? Why are people being arrested for doing so?

I'm posting this in the heat of the moment, so to speak, I just read a story about a guy who was arrested for obstructing justice when all he was doing was filming a cop scene with his cell phone.

[Cynical Ninja]

Cops don't seem to like it that's for sure its the same in this country. Having said that loads of people film protests and demonstrations as they happen so many in fact it would be an exercise in futility for the police to try and stop them all. There's loads of footage of cops online so if they are trying to stop it they aren't doing a very good job.

When I worked for Northumbria Police there was a marker we could put on a persons computer record if they were known for recording conversations or footage of police. They were branded a “secret recorder” coppers knew to be very careful what they said and did when dealing face to face with “secret recorders”.

As for the legalities? In this country they would probably try and arrest you for a section 5 public order offence that's the catch all offence for most minor disorder. If you swear at a cop in the UK they give you one warning if you do it again they arrest your ass.

[Duchess]

Apparently it's been established that it is not illegal to film LEO -

The Justice Department argues that not only do individuals have a First Amendment right to record officers publicly doing their duties, they also have Fourth and 14^th Amendment rights protecting them from having those recordings seized without a warrant or due process.

That's interesting to me given people are still being arrested for doing so, the bogus charges are thrown out but nonetheless it's still going on.

[BlueTiki]

Is it against the law to film the police?

I dunno.

Let's ask Rodney King!

[Cynical Ninja]

Apparently it's been established that it is not illegal to film LEO -

The Justice Department argues that not only do individuals have a First Amendment right to record officers publicly doing their duties, they also have Fourth and 14^th Amendment rights protecting them from having those recordings seized without a warrant or due process.

That's interesting to me given people are still being arrested for doing so, the bogus charges are thrown out but nonetheless it's till going on.

I know there are a few cases of people in this country being arrested for it I'm not sure if any of those arrested ended up in court or not.

I've seen footage of people recording coppers and the coppers have approached them and asked them to stop and generally there tends to be a discussion about the legalities with the person filming generally stating there's no law against it.

I have never seen footage of police actually arresting someone just for filming but like you say if arrests are being made then there must be footage somewhere.

[Donovan]

There was a woman in my town, a young activist type, who filmed cops arresting/harrassing some other young people and was ordered back inside. She refused and continued to film from her property and they wound up cuffing her and arresting her for nothing more than that. Became a big public spectacle.

So much for law abiding citizens having nothing to fear...I'll try and find the girl's name and the video. Literally gets dragged off to jail for simply filming the traffic stop and refusing to stop. Cop claimed at the time he "felt threatened".

[Duchess]

There was a woman in my town, a young activist type, who filmed cops arresting/harrassing some other young people and was ordered back inside. She refused and continued to film from her property and they wound up cuffing her and arresting her for nothing more than that. Became a big public spectacle.

I just watched that one! Youtube is filled with videos depicting people being arrested for filming the police.

[Duchess]

Pfft. depicting. Jesus Christ I'm a tard sometimes.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Most of them get arrested for disobeying an order from a LEO, or Obstructing Justice.
Very few convictions, but a lot of arrests. I keep a Hero3 Black in the truck just in case.
Also have a couple other tiny cameras around should the need arise.

[Donovan]

That was what they arrested this girl for. Emily Good was her name for anyone interested. The video itself is pretty boring, no one gets pissed or out of control and it's a very civil if heated exchange. There are two clear sides to the argument, no clear right or wrong person. In other words, fascinating to guys like me. The chick was clearly an activist with an agenda and her responses were carefully measured to be non compliant but not illegal. Made for a lot of controversy at the time over whether the officer's directives super ceded the citizen's rights under that constitutional right we just got rid of, what was that again? Oh yeah, the fourth amendment.

[Cynical Ninja]

There was a woman in my town, a young activist type, who filmed cops arresting/harrassing some other young people and was ordered back inside. She refused and continued to film from her property and they wound up cuffing her and arresting her for nothing more than that. Became a big public spectacle.

So much for law abiding citizens having nothing to fear...I'll try and find the girl's name and the video. Literally gets dragged off to jail for simply filming the traffic stop and refusing to stop. Cop claimed at the time he "felt threatened".

I've heard some cops claim they weren't sure whether the person in question was holding a camera towards them or a gun. I can't think of any cameras on the market that are remotely gun shaped to be honest.

The next time I see a cop on foot patrol in my town, which is a fairly regular occurence, I'm going to film them just to see what their reaction is I'm curious now. Time to experiment for myself.

[Donovan]

In this case you can see very clearly, and the girl states repeatedly, that she is unarmed and nonthreatening. That said, you can also clearly detect she has a deliberately non compliant stance and the cop mentions something said "before you were filming". It was about a civil a confrontation as you could hope for. You Brits would be proud.

[Tammy75]

Are you talking about the dog that was shot in LA?

[Duchess]

Are you talking about the dog that was shot in LA?

That's what inspired this, yup.

[thekid65]

Cops don't seem to like it that's for sure its the same in this country.

I would think they'd be more accepting over there. You all have cameras on pretty much every street corner, right?

[Cynical Ninja]

The UK is the most surveillanced country in the western world.

Our cops can be just as big as assholes as yours thank fuck they don't all carry guns.

[Donovan]

There is something implicitly hostile about a person who rushes out of his or her house to film you doing your job, in an already potentially hazardous situation and placing themselves, you and others in harm's way. I can see a cop becoming hostile and defensive in such circumstances.

[Cynical Ninja]

There is something implicitly hostile about a person who rushes out of his or her house to film you doing your job, in an already potentially hazardous situation and placing themselves, you and others in harm's way. I can see a cop becoming hostile and defensive in such circumstances.

Yesterday you completely agreed with a statement I made, your statement above is something I completely agree with.

What the fuck is going on?

[Duchess]

[Donovan]

I fell asleep and the pod people finally got me. Bastards.