Police Deleted My Photo's!! C&C Also

[rfosness88]

You are not legally obliged to identify yourself to the police. However, truthfully, on the street, if you fail to identify yourself to a police officer who asks, you are probably going to be detained. The police officer will probably say in the report that it wasn't because you refused to identify yourself but because the actions of you not identifying yourself caused them to be suspicious for some other reason.

Good to know thanks. I just don't want to end up on there "naughty" list and get harassed.

At one point there was a kid that could barley walk and he was dropping/fiddling with his keys trying to get into his downtown apartment and a squad car was parked across the street waiting for a reason to confront him. I walked over and unlocked the door for him and waved to the cop. He waved and drove away. Prolly saved that kid a public intoxication ticket.

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[inTempus]

Here's the stark reality. On the street the police are always right. If confronted by the police, they will get their way regardless of how well versed you are regarding our rights. The more you argue, the more their resolve will strengthen. The best you can hope for is to do as they ask and if you truly feel violated, seek damages after the fact. Politely disagree with their acts, request a business card or at the very least write down their names and badge numbers. Always do as they ask.

If they delete your images, recover them later. But don't give them a reason to arrest you or to confiscate your gear. They are trained to not back down. The more you argue with them the worse you make it for yourself.

[Mgw189]

Okay, I am going to take a bit of a different side to this. I think it has officially been determined that she was in the wrong to delete your images however the bigger issue I am seeing is your choice of taking these images.

Legally are you allowed to? You bet, it is a 'public place'. Should you? I wouldn't. I put myself into the position of the officers, or even the people who they are questioning, and I personally would be pretty peeved if someone took photos. If I was in the back of a squad car, whether I was inebriated or not, I would probably be quite upset for some random to come by and just shoot an image. As a police officer I would feel it was my responsibility to keep a person I have detained or am questioning from someone just snapping pictures.

Just a thought to keep in mind.

PS: Don't eat me

I am not going to eat you but..... If you dont want a picture of you taken in the back of a police car than dont get arrested to begin with. To be completely honest I would be to worried about being in the cop car to notice someone taking my picture. The only time that a police officer will generally worry about someone taking a picture of someone is if it is a crime victim. For the most part they could care less about the perpatrator.

[manaheim]

At last some reason added to this very one sided debate.

Guys we all know our rights (well i do, and lots of you too) but imo that does not mean you should start demanding things from police officers 'just because you can'.

As Peanuts says... taking photos of some one who has been detained and who is acting out because she is getting photographed could well be making the officers job harder... for all we know she could have been banging on about having her photo taken all the way to the station (if thats where she was going)....
I do not believe that we should all cry out rights when we are not in the situation... its easy to say this from the outside.
Its like taking pics in an abandoned building, if you can get in and out without any bother then great... but if you run out of luck, or are in a difficult situation then fair play, better luck next time.

This is fine, but I do think that sometimes someone really needs to make a stand on things like this, even if they're going to get raked over the coals for it.

The problem is that without thes righteous fights, rights slowly get eroded away. The important thing is to try not to be an absolute jerk about it, and stand for your rights in a respectful manner.

In this case with the officer, I might simply say "With all due respect, officer, technically I'm within my legal rights to take the pictures. Can I ask why you feel the need to ask me to delete them?" or something along those lines.

Who knows... she might even have a reason that you actually understand and agree with.

No matter what, giving the officer a "Well, no, I'm not going to delete these" is probably going to make your life pretty difficult, righteous or no. Sometimes you should take that stand, sometimes not. It's tough.

Obviously where you didn't know, the officer took advantage and you should pretty much go "yeah, ok" and move on. Next time? I would push back a bit, but just not be stupid or reckless about it.

[sultan]

I am not going to eat you but..... If you dont want a picture of you taken in the back of a police car than dont get arrested to begin with. To be completely honest I would be to worried about being in the cop car to notice someone taking my picture. The only time that a police officer will generally worry about someone taking a picture of someone is if it is a crime victim. For the most part they could care less about the perpatrator.

I second that. Don't want a picture of you taken in a cop car? Then don't cause trouble and get arrested. Consider the photograph to be a little punishment to the criminal.

[Peanuts]

I find what Mgw189 and sultan said a bit presumptuous. First, they may not be guilty. Second, who knows the circumstances behind it (in the case she was obviously inebriated), but what are you going to do when it is someone who is being told that their friend was just shot/killed in an automobile accident etc. etc. Although things might seem really black and white at the time as to what the circumstances are, symptoms of being inebriated can be quite similar to shock/grief (nonsensical screaming, slurring, tears, etc. etc.)
Once again, just stating things that everyone should think about when photographing people.

[Jaszek]

Just like tharmsen said, recover them. It's going to take you about 5 minutes or less if you didn't format your card.

[stsinner]

Really? This is what you chose to comment on? It was a descriptor and nothing more. Leave the guy alone and try not to derail the thread.

Thank you!!

[stsinner]

I am not going to eat you but..... If you dont want a picture of you taken in the back of a police car than dont get arrested to begin with.

Agree 100%. Once you decide that laws don't matter, I decide that your rights don't matter..

[KD5NRH]

She then tells me that I have to delete the pictures of the girl she arrested.

If no crime was committed by taking the photos, then they are not her concern. If a crime was committed, they are evidence, and deleting them would be tampering with that evidence.

[rfosness88]

Just like tharmsen said, recover them. It's going to take you about 5 minutes or less if you didn't format your card.

already formatted the card, but w/e it was just a few photo's, I was just wondering if what they did was "normal" or legal.

Is there a free app you guys use to recover your photo's (mac)

[Peanuts]

If no crime was committed by taking the photos, then they are not her concern. If a crime was committed, they are evidence, and deleting them would be tampering with that evidence.

Evidence of someone sitting in a police cruiser?

[rfosness88]

Evidence of someone sitting in a police cruiser?

I think he is talking "in general"

[O|||||||O]

Is there a free app you guys use to recover your photo's (mac)

SanDisk cards (I think only the Extreme (or better) ones) come with recovery software.

[Battou]

Okay, I am going to take a bit of a different side to this. I think it has officially been determined that she was in the wrong to delete your images however the bigger issue I am seeing is your choice of taking these images.

Legally are you allowed to? You bet, it is a 'public place'. Should you? I wouldn't. I put myself into the position of the officers, or even the people who they are questioning, and I personally would be pretty peeved if someone took photos. If I was in the back of a squad car, whether I was inebriated or not, I would probably be quite upset for some random to come by and just shoot an image. As a police officer I would feel it was my responsibility to keep a person I have detained or am questioning from someone just snapping pictures.

Just a thought to keep in mind.

PS: Don't eat me

It was for this very reason I did not reply to this thread earlier. I simply did not see a photo or any evidence of there having been one. There is nothing of consiquence here, Despite not being with the press I've put my self into some awkward situations with police officers with my camera but never once have they "bothered me". In this situation I was literally surounded by uniform and plain clothed police officers, they literally sat there and watched me take every shot of the police cruser, This was a road block, and that is not to mention all the Medivac Flights I have shot where I am litterally bobbing and weaving my way threw uniforms to get into position. But, for all of those situations there was always a clear cut reason for the pressence of a camera that I am not seeing here. Police officers handing out citations isn't really a photoworthy event and I feel this may be what spawned their reaction, no clear cut reason to be there. It's times like this where you have to ask your self, "What exactly where you shooting?" If you can't come up with an answer that is more than "nothing special", then just leave the camera at your side, Just because you can does not mean you should.