New York City Attorney and Photographer Rights Advocate Edward C. Greenberg was nice enough to send me a note and pdf file that contains a one page Operations Order memorandum issued by the New York Police Department (NYPD) to its patrol officers detailing the position and behavior of police officers toward photographers in the Big Apple. It points out at the very start that in almost all cases, photography of public places is legal. It also outlines how the police should respond to reports of suspicious or terrorist related photography.
Ed advise that photographers print and carry this document when photographing in NYC, but I think it would be advisable for all photographers to carry this document, along with fellow attorney, Bert Krages document called The Photographer’s Rights.
Note: If you are stopped a police officer, even if you know your rights, please take my advice and don’t act belligerent. Be nice, courteous, and offer to let them read over these documents. Officers want to think they know the laws better than you, and that may be true with the crimes they most often face, but sadly, a good number seem to have less understanding of, or simply glaze over civil rights laws.
This information is invaluable. While shooting pictures in downtown LA, I was recently told to stop taking pictures by a “security guard.”
I’ll definitely be printing these off and adding them to my camera bag.
Thanks…………………:)