Filming on-duty cops

[Mean_Mr.Mustard]

It is legal to film anything you want in public. That includes cops.

The other thing to consider is that just because it’s legal does not automatically make it a smart thing to do.

[Punoqllads]

@campp

In the US at least, I don’t believe anyone can ask to see your photo card without a warrant. Not legally.

Hiibel seems to say that officers can require people to identify themselves if there’s a reasonable suspicion that they have, are, or will commit a crime, even without probable cause. I don’t know if the power to require identification will extend to photo id for verification.

[campp]

@Punoqllads

Hiibel seems to say that officers can require people to identify themselves if there’s a reasonable suspicion that they have, are, or will commit a crime, even without probable cause. I don’t know if the power to require identification will extend to photo id for verification.

By photo card, I meant SD chip or memory chip, not a personal identification card.

[cantara]

London Met Police service - there is no prohibition on photographing front-line uniform staff

Some points about taking photos in public (generally)…I can’t comment on the legality of the details within.

Public Photography

US Photographers Rights (PDF)
Another US Photographers rights page (PDF)
UK Photographers Rights - Link to PDF is about halfway down the page…he requested not to link the PDF directly.

[IAmNotSpartacus]

@muldoonthief

FWIW, in Massachusetts, it’s illegal to make an audio recording of someone in public without their permission, even if the audio is just part of a video recording. This has been upheld in the courts, and does apply to recording cops as well.

Cite?

[dtilque]

@newme

It happened in Harris County, Texas (Houston):Wed 12/23/2009 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2009_4826849
"After more than seven years and $4 million in legal bills, Harris County soon will bring an end to the courtroom fallout from the arrests of two men who said they were wrongfully arrested after one of them photographed sheriff’s deputies during a drug raid. "

There was a similar case in Portland about the police tasering a guy who was videoing them searching a junkyard: link

[Ruken]

I recall cases were people have been charged with wiretapping for filming police. I didn’t look at specific examples, but google has a few links.

[muldoonthief]

@IAmNotSpartacus

Cite?

Here’s a recent Boston Globe article about police and cell phone videorecording, but it includes a quote about the case that I was thinking of:

Michael Hyde, a 31-year-old musician, began secretly recording police after he was stopped in Abington in late 1998 and the encounter turned testy. He then used the recording as the basis for a harassment complaint. The police, in turn, charged Hyde with illegal wiretapping. Focusing on the secret nature of the recording, the SJC upheld the conviction in 2001.

“Secret tape recording by private individuals has been unequivocally banned, and, unless and until the Legislature changes the statute, what was done here cannot be done lawfully,’’ the SJC ruled in a 4-to-2 decision.

ETA: I see from the article that the result in court now seems to turn on whether the recording was done secretly or openly, though the cops still seem perfectly happy to arrest anyone who is recording them, no matter how openly they do it.

[IAmNotSpartacus]

It would appear the fact that he was doing it secretly is what caused the problem.

Although if the police told him to stop, and he didn’t, he’d probably get hit with failing to obey a peace officer or obstructing justice or disturbing the peace or some other horseshit charge.