Philadelphia Police Radio Broadcasting the First Amendment & Reminding Officers People Can Videotape Them

occupyus:

As OccupyPhilly grows, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey is broadcast the First Amendment on police radio to remind officers of civilians’ rights. In addition, he has released a memo telling officers that people have the right to record and photograph police encounters - in light of a number of wrongful arrests of bystanders who had been filming violent arrests. Those bystanders then received their personal property (phones) after release in a damaged state where the recordings were inaccessible.

“It is not illegal to videotape a police officer,” Ramsey said in a phone interview.

“Cameras are everywhere. [Officers] need to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. If someone wants to videotape, they have the right to do so.”

+ 1 Philly

(via mxblues)