Posts Tagged 'Police'

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Colorado Police Want to Outlaw Back Talk

Published July 14, 2008 Photographers' Rights Leave a Comment
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Photo by Discarted

A Colorado police chief wants to make it illegal for people to talk back to his officers. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Chief Paul Schultz of the Lafayette Police Department, a city located in the Boulder metropolitan area, has asked the City Council to include taunting and profanities as grounds for obstruction charges.

Presumably not realizing how ridiculous he sounded, Chief Schultz explained it this way:

“Officers have been subjected to very abusive language. This gives them a tool. Otherwise, they would just have to stand there and take that verbal abuse.”

Chief Schultz concedes that it would have to take “repeated, prolonged” verbal attacks to warrant arrest, but who’s to say where that line is?

Predictably the Boulder County Civil Liberties Union has taken issue with this, and two council members opposed the ordinance change citing its restriction of free speech. “I don’t think we need to be in the business of regulating speech in Lafayette,” councilman Alex Schatz said. 

To contact Chief Paul Schultz: pauls@cityoflafayette.com

Article from the Rocky Mountain News via Officer.com.

A Sticky Situation in Coney Island

Published June 12, 2008 Harassment , Police Harassment , Street photography 1 Comment
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A diver jumps off the pier at Coney Island
Photo by Simon Lund

From an interesting article in the Village Voice, commercial photographer Simon Lund was taking photos in Coney Island over Memorial Day weekend when he was forced to give up his film.

It all started when he unknowingly (if at all) took a photo of a woman’s young son. She became angry and demanded he erase the picture. (Which makes me think the kid was in the witness protection program, but that’s neither here nor there.) Lund explained he couldn’t because he was shooting film, so she involved the cops, who intimidated Lund into handing over his film.

Lund knew he wasn’t in the wrong, and it’s easy to say now, “Why didn’t he just walk away?!” But when a woman and her irate family are yelling at you and you’re surrounded by a group of NYPD — one of which says, “You’ve got to give up your film, or things are going to get much worse for you” — you might not be thinking crystal clearly.

In the article, Christopher Dunn of the New York Civil Liberties Union, says: “Police officers are not allowed to look at images without consent of the photographer, and they have no authority to order someone to let them look at their pictures or to confiscate their film.”

If only Lund could have reminded them of that.

To give Deputy Inspector Robert Johnson and the 60th Precinct (which oversees Coney Island) your thoughts, call 718-946-3311.

Article via Village Voice.

See some of Simon Lund’s Coney Island photos here.

You Can’t Picture This

Published June 4, 2008 Photographers' Rights 1 Comment
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After being harassed by authorities on a busy street, Rajesh Thind investigates the photographers’ rights issue in London. The one particularly aggressive officer perfectly encapsulates the fearful authority who isn’t quite sure what he’s after or what he’s enforcing, he just thinks it’s “suspicious.” “Can you tell me why you’re filming here? Gimme a good reason!” and “Gimme ID first!” 

John Toner from the National Union of Journalists says in the video, “Taking pictures using film [or] video is not in itself a crime.”

A Good Start But a Long Way to Go

Published June 2, 2008 Protests 2 Comments
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NPRD Photographers 

The first-ever Photographers Rights Rally yesterday was a success — and a good start in getting the word out about this issue. About 35 people (from as far-flung as San Diego, Fullerton and Costa Mesa) showed up over the course of the day and we had LA County sheriffs (very cordially, I might add) supervise us at Hollywood and Highland and escort us on the Metro to Union Station. We had free reign to shoot wherever and whatever we liked. However, as predicted, as soon as the rally ended, things went back to normal and two photographers were harassed, one on the platform at Union Station and threatened with arrest. A letter was sent to Capt. Dan Finkelstein, MTA’s chief of police, Mayor Villaraigosa and Councilmen LaBonge and Garcetti asking to clarify their policies; no response yet.

To check out the shots of the day, click here.

And stay tuned for a photo/audio montage to be posted here soon.

Thanks to all who came out, shot pictures and showed support.

Photo by amianda

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