“Long Beach (Calif.) Police Chief Jim McDonnell is defending his officer who detained a Long Beach Post contributor for taking pictures of an oil refinery on June 30. ‘If an officer sees someone taking pictures of something like a refinery, it is incumbent upon the officer to make contact with the individual.’ Detaining photographers for taking pictures ‘with no apparent esthetic value’ is within Long Beach Police Department policy, the chief says.”
2 thoughts on “Posted without comment line of the day”
Comments are closed.
WHAT!?!
This debate between police and photographers is heating up. I recently heard a piece on NPR that if someone takes photos or video while police are doing their job (ie arresting someone, beating up someone, making a traffic stop, whatever might be filed under “police work”) the film and device can be detained as evidence.
I always thought the law was, if it’s happening in public, it’s fair game for photography. Not so when it comes to police. I suspect at some point a photographer will have to sue in order to get the laws clarified or changed.