Recording Police. The Law.

[Ed Suspicious]

Have any cities/state expressly, by law, codified the right of citizens to record police in the line of duty. Have any cities created law that forbids recording police?

I know there was something going on in Illinois having to do with an eavesdropping law but I'm reading that one can be charged with a felony under that statute for recording, and I've also been reading that that report was wholly inaccurate. That there is no provision that prohibits recording police in public.

What cities/states have written law either way?

[mike_c]

1. a quick online search will answer your question....

Short version: in most localities the law is silent about photographing or videoing police, but courts have uniformly found that it is legal to video police in public as long as the photographer does not interfere with law enforcement and as long as the filming is not secret. On private property the property owner's wishes must be respected, although if it's your property, it's as good as public if that's the way you want it to be.

Those consistent court rulings make attempts to legislate laws against filming police in public places unlikely to prevail when challenged.

[Ed Suspicious]

3. I was getting a lot of that in my searches, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

I'm trying to develop a research method that I can use to study the effects of citizen use of cameras on police brutality and ultimately police accountability. I was hoping there was a place that either codified or outlawed the use of cameras so I could analyze before and after effects rates of violence along with public satisfaction in their police forces.

[Ed Suspicious]

4. Thank you for taking the time.

[951-Riverside]

2. It doesnt matter what the law says

They're going to ask you to stop pointing the camera at them because it could be a weapon (Fast forward to 3:40 in the video below).

?t=3m40s

If you refuse, they're going to "try to detain you" by jumping on you and throwing you to the ground, during the course you will be severely beaten or even shot for "trying to grab an officers weapon".

If you do manage to survive you will be charged with resisting arrest, impeding an investigation and assault on an officer, your lawyer will get you to plead out for a lesser sentence and you will be left in debt from legal, medical and personal expenses.

So yeah it doesn't matter what the law says, just keep that in mind when you video record an officer in the free united states of america.