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Re: ROBBED BY A COP— AGAIN!

Posted by TimLawNYC on Fri Feb 22 17:44:25 2008, in response to Re: ROBBED BY A COP— AGAIN!, posted by BrooklynBus on Fri Feb 22 17:31:34 2008.

I'm curious as to what would qualify as "something outrageous" that the police might ask you to do that you'd feel justified in disobeying, assuming all you're really doing is taking photographs in a public place. Presenting ID? Deleting your pictures? Handing over your memory card? Your camera? Going to the station to answer some questions? Having your house searched?

I agree that police deserve our respect, and in most cases, we should comply with what they say. Particularly in the current political environment, where police (particularly in NYC) must be vigilant in preventing potential terrorist activity. Please understand that nobody is trying to stop the police from keeping all of us safe. However, we all need to remember that citizens do have civil rights, and the police are not allowed to infringe those rights except under certain narrow circumstances. I'd argue that the fact that you expect a person who plans to do nothing more than go out and engage in a perfectly legal, worthwhile hobby, like taking photos in public spaces, to always bring a witness or a tape recorder with him for fear of being "harassed" is itself a commentary on the sad state of affairs we're presented with. Why should anybody worry about bringing "protection" when simply exercising their constitutional rights?

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