Who Decides if Videotaping Police is Illegal?

[bainsidhe]

A local woman was video-taping a traffic stop in front of her home. She was arrested while in her own yard for obstructing governmental administration (the actual charge). Basically, she was arrested for videotaping a traffic stop and refusing to go inside when the officer instructed. A link to the actual video follows. She remained calm and polite and explained that it was her right to be in her front yard.

Linkie: http://blip.tv/indy-tv/rochester-pol...c-stop-5297870

I'm a little torn on this. Our city has a lot of crime and I understand the need for officers to control a scene and be safe. But that just sounds like an excuse when I watch the video. They didn't want to be recorded, so they bullied and arrested someone performing a perfectly legal activity on personal property. With all the crime in our city, I'd expect police to chase after real criminals.

[HYHYBT]

I'm not the least bit torn on this. "What's good for the goose is good for the gander," and do the police not record things? Are there not claims thrown about that only those with something to hide complain?

[powerboy]

She should have the right, to video tape the traffic stop. But what if they were wanting her to go inside for her own saftey. (I have not watched the video yet) But then yeah. But still, what if she had just got the camera and was trying it out. I know when I get a knew camera, I try it out when I get home and charged up.

[Akasa]

They let the guy they pulled over for the traffic stop go when they arrested her. Bullies, power tripping.

[DrFaroohk]

lol since when is it a crime to "not follow police orders". I know there's certain situations where you have to cooperate with police, but "You must follow all orders given by police" is no law I've heard of.

In situations like this, it should be legal to resist arrest and assault the officer. I think it would remind cops they're not above the law if they knew they pulling bullcrap like that will get their asses beat.

[Greenday]

lol since when is it a crime to "not follow police orders". I know there's certain situations where you have to cooperate with police, but "You must follow all orders given by police" is no law I've heard of.

In situations like this, it should be legal to resist arrest and assault the officer. I think it would remind cops they're not above the law if they knew they pulling bullcrap like that will get their asses beat.

It's called obstruction of justice. And yes, it's been illegal for years.

[Andara Bledin]

It's called obstruction of justice. And yes, it's been illegal for years.

There'd have to be something you were obstructing before you could be Obstructing Justice. Standing in your own yard with a camera obstructs nothing but the police's ability to commit injustice.

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[DrFaroohk]

It's called obstruction of justice. And yes, it's been illegal for years.

Yeah, if you're obstructing justice and the police want you out of the way, you have to obey. Saying "you must follow all police orders" would also include paying them off, sexual favors and random beatings.

She wasn't obstructing shit. She was videotaping. I think the officer's claims of "I don't feel safe" was just to cover his own ass. I also doubt there was anything said before she started taping. I think he was trying to open something up for later.

I've read that she's been arrested for this same thing a couple of times, which I don't see as relevant. It doesn't matter if she's been arrest 100 times. She's not doing anything wrong or obstructing anything. She might very well be a trouble maker, and ya know, that's her right to do so. And actually, it seems the only trouble came from the cop - if he'd been doing his job, there'd have been no problem.

[Greenday]

I guess there's the argument that if they are being filmed, they will be overly cautious about what they are doing and they won't be able to do their job correctly.

Not the strongest argument, but it's the first thing that comes to mind.

[Evandril]

I guess there's the argument that if they are being filmed, they will be overly cautious about what they are doing and they won't be able to do their job correctly.

Not the strongest argument, but it's the first thing that comes to mind.

So they are basically saying that the normal way they do their jobs is not acceptable? I'm curious if the other times the lady was arrested stuck, or if the charges got thrown out, honestly.

[Greenday]

So they are basically saying that the normal way they do their jobs is not acceptable? I'm curious if the other times the lady was arrested stuck, or if the charges got thrown out, honestly.

Look at someone getting tazered or pepper sprayed while being unruly. If someone video tapes that and posts it on the internet, it'll get hundreds of thousands of hits and media coverage is possible. All that even though they did nothing wrong. If they have people constantly looking over their shoulder, just waiting for them to do one tiny insignificant thing wrong, it's going to affect a lot of cops. I know we've had threads either here or on CS about people/bosses looking over your shoulder and it messing with you. I can recall at least one thread by blas where a lot of people voiced how they don't like people looking over their shoulder while they work. Why should cops be any different?

http://fratching.com/showthread.php?t=4364&page=2 - blas's thread

And that's just a few people ranting about not liking people stand around you. Honestly, who here would like to be followed around and filmed all day by someone waiting to watch them screw up?

[Evandril]

Look at someone getting tazered or pepper sprayed while being unruly. If someone video tapes that and posts it on the internet, it'll get hundreds of thousands of hits and media coverage is possible. All that even though they did nothing wrong. If they have people constantly looking over their shoulder, just waiting for them to do one tiny insignificant thing wrong, it's going to affect a lot of cops. I know we've had threads either here or on CS about people/bosses looking over your shoulder and it messing with you. I can recall at least one thread by blas where a lot of people voiced how they don't like people looking over their shoulder while they work. Why should cops be any different?

I don't *like* having everything I do at work being recorded...but it is, and it has saved me hide more than once (As well as getting me in hot water when I *was* wrong, but that's fair). Having someone acting in the 'public good', personally, I like the idea of them being taped...Yes, you'll have lots of backdoor quarterbacking, and while that'll lead to lots of bitching, I've yet to hear of someone disiplined for public opinion.

[Greenday]

Well, that's the whole point of the dashcams on cop cars. Protects people being pulled over and it protects the police too.

But when you are constantly messing with the police by following them around and video taping them, you are messing with their job. If the people think cops aren't doing their jobs correctly, then hire people to watch them professionally. If people are going to harass the police while they do their job, it might as well be professionals.

In my opinion, amateurs filming cops have done the cops more harm than the public more good.

[Evandril]

Well, that's the whole point of the dashcams on cop cars. Protects people being pulled over and it protects the police too.

But when you are constantly messing with the police by following them around and video taping them, you are messing with their job. If the people think cops aren't doing their jobs correctly, then hire people to watch them professionally. If people are going to harass the police while they do their job, it might as well be professionals.

In my opinion, amateurs filming cops have done the cops more harm than the public more good.

Following them around is a seperate issue...and in that case, I'd agree with you. Shooting a video from your own lawn, doubly so when it's common for you to do so? And then letting the person actively breaking the law go, so you can arrest the person filming from their own property? Doesn't sound acceptable, IMO.

[Andara Bledin]

Well, that's the whole point of the dashcams on cop cars. Protects people being pulled over and it protects the police too.

Only when they're on, and only when the stop is being handled at the front of the car. In this case, the man being cuffed was at the back of the police car, which seems a bit suspect to me, as every case I've seen with the cops dealing with people around me have them at the front end of the car, most likely specifically to catch everything on the dash cam. The only time I've personally witnessed a person being dealt with at the back of an officer's car was in the case of multiple individuals being separated so they can't hear what the other answers when being questioned as to their activities.

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