St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Do to the number of past posts dealing with the subject of Photography and the Police I thought I would post an article I just came across originally dated April 5, 2012

http://www.flexyourrights.org/
- from

http://reason.com/archives/2012/04/05/7-rules-for-recording-police/singlepage
- single page

and http://www.flexyourrights.org/our_DVDs
- if you need it

shopnascar Loc: San Luis Obispo, CA

I hope not all photogs are so paranoid! Cops are not bad people, they are there to protect us. If you treat them with respect and courtesy, that is most likely what you will get back. If you treat them with contempt, you are likely to be perceived as a threat.
If you like cops and respect the job they do to protect you, share that with them. You are much more likely to see them doing their job in a professsional manner, and you can film in a professional manner too.

However, if all you want to do is harass police and get arrested; don't listen to me!

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

I posted this in response to a few earlier posts hoping to clear up a lot of I Think Comments and to lay out a few guidelines. Personally I think police are great. Not only are they here to serve and protect, but they are people just like you and me. Most of them have funny stories to tell too.

shopnascar Loc: San Luis Obispo, CA

Glad to hear that!
I get so frustrated when bad photogs antagonize police to exert their political views, and then they "act" surprised when cops respond. They wouldn't go poking at an animal; but it's okay to antagonize cops, and then play victim.
Then I have to overcome the bad taste the jerk photog left in their mouth. Cops and us have a common goal; finding the truth in the real world. And I have liked nearly every cop I have gotten to actually know, especially when I meet them off-duty!
IMHO anyway.

beverett Loc: los angeles

Sometimes cops are just plain wrong about photography. A highly placed police friend of mine whose unit handles lawsuits and complaints against his agency asked me not long ago to help him in a defense against a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of three photographers who allegedly had been mistreated by police officers.

As he explained the circumstances, it became clear that these guys were involved simple street photography. The were not even photographing cops (which sometimes can be dicey), though they might have been impolite to the officers.

I told my friend his cops were in the wrong and gave him a copy of "The Photographer's Right."

The point here is that there is a lot of misinformation that can fuel a confrontation. Best advice is to be polite to anyone who questions what you are doing.

gmcase Loc: Galt's Gulch

Being polite and respectful is fine and dandy but you should never surrender your rights because it might upset a cop or make them unhappy. Be respectful but firm. It's called being free and protecting that freedom. If you arent willing to protect it you aren't worthy of exercising it.

shopnascar Loc: San Luis Obispo, CA

Thanks for telling us who is worthy and who isn't. I am glad we have folks like you to decide what we should do; so you can exercise your freedom . . .

gmcase Loc: Galt's Gulch

You're very welcome.

beverett Loc: los angeles

Quite right!

photo guy Loc: Chippewa Falls, WI

There was an incident that I read in a newspaper yesterday about a news photojournalist/videographer who was injured and the camera damaged after the person was sent to do a story for the news and the cop rushed him and shoved him to the ground. The news person was actually injured in it and the camera damaged and now the news says that they may sue. The pd would not comment except for saying it was unfortunate that something happened and that they are looking into it.