First Circuit Court of Appeals Rules that Citizens can Videotape Police

[Feuer Frei!]

The filming of government officials while on duty is protected by the First Amendment, said the Court

The First Circuit Court of Appeals reached a crucial decision last Friday allowing the public to videotape police officers while they're on the clock.

The decision comes after a string of incidents where individuals have videotaped police officers and were arrested. Police officers across the United States believed citizens didn't have the right to videotape them as they conducted official duties, but issues like police brutality put the issue up for debate.

SOURCE

[Sailor Steve]

Good for them!

[Platapus]

Excellent.

Unless the physical recording is interfering with the duties of the police, it should be allowed.

The whole idea of the government not allowing its police to be recorded while on public land, because it can be used against them is disturbing on a very deep level.

A police force operating in a republic MUST have oversight at all times to prevent misuse/abuse.

It is not our right for Free Speech that was being infringed. It was our right " to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" that was being infringed. In order to have a valid petition of a grievance, the petitioner (citizen) must be allowed to collect, within the law, evidence that supports their grievance.

Without this evidence, the government can, and has, say "we don't think that actually happened as you said it did. Go away."

[Jimbuna]

The same right exists in the UK and rightly so because it keeps people on their toes and mindful of potential consequences should something be seen not to be right.