Shooting in NYC Now More Clear-Cut

Photo by discarted

Today the Mayor’s office in New York City announced their new and improved rules governing filming activity in the city. Up until now, filmmakers and photographers have been shooting under rules that allowed for considerable harassment and scrutiny from law enforcement. And the city’s last effort, rules released last summer, were constricting to say the least, essentially requiring any group of two or more people taking photos on city property for more than 30 minutes to have a permit and insurance.

The new rules state, in part:

Permits will not be required for casual photographers, tourists, credentialed members of the media, or other members of the public who do not use vehicles or equipment or assert exclusive use of City property.

The NYC Photo Rights blog says:

Good News!!! Now if only the City of New York would agree to educate their police forces. That is really where the disconnect is. The city government can publish all the rules it wants but it means nothing if their police force continues to harass photographers. The track record of the NYPD in this respect is extremely poor.

Article from the AP via the International Herald Tribune.

Colorado Police Want to Outlaw Back Talk

Photo by Discarted

A Colorado police chief wants to make it illegal for people to talk back to his officers. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Chief Paul Schultz of the Lafayette Police Department, a city located in the Boulder metropolitan area, has asked the City Council to include taunting and profanities as grounds for obstruction charges.

Presumably not realizing how ridiculous he sounded, Chief Schultz explained it this way:

“Officers have been subjected to very abusive language. This gives them a tool. Otherwise, they would just have to stand there and take that verbal abuse.”

Chief Schultz concedes that it would have to take “repeated, prolonged” verbal attacks to warrant arrest, but who’s to say where that line is?

Predictably the Boulder County Civil Liberties Union has taken issue with this, and two council members opposed the ordinance change citing its restriction of free speech. “I don’t think we need to be in the business of regulating speech in Lafayette,” councilman Alex Schatz said. 

To contact Chief Paul Schultz: pauls@cityoflafayette.com

Article from the Rocky Mountain News via Officer.com.