Officers Detain Man For Taking Pictures

[mishele]

Interesting read.....
MTA Officers Detain Man For Taking Pictures « CBS Baltimore

 

[Village Idiot]

Not the first or last time this will happen.

“Our officers have become very sensitive post 9/11 and we’re trying to see that they understand our passengers and citizens also have a right to take pictures,” Wells said.

An excuse that's too often used. At least he stood his ground and didn't just give in and walk away. A lot of times that you see instances such as this, officers are citing 9/11 and quoting their version of the patriot act. They're abusing their powers by not knowing the laws that they're trying to serve. An officer won't know every single law, but in important instances where it's something so common that happens and that violate's a person's right, they should definitely know the low and how it applies to the everyday person.

I think for brazen violations such as this, people should be suspended for a short period of time and be forced to go to a mandatory training so that they'll think twice about trying to stop a person from photographing when it's completely legal and within their rights. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening so it looks like being sue happy is the only way to make departments pay attention.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

"The MTA admits the officers were in error."

'nuff said, they'll work it out.

 

[Derrel]

Douchebag cops...they're all across the USA..and Europe...and the UK...

 

[mishele]

"The MTA admits the officers were in error."

'nuff said, they'll work it out.

This is an embarrassment for the MTA, so I'm sure the Officers involved are being reprimanded in someway.

 

[analog.universe]

I wish the ratio of "cops in it to help people" vs. "cops in it to flex their ego" was different... alas, those with power are usually more loyal to the power itself than the ideals that power enables them to uphold.

 

[KmH]

Another telling comment in the article: (my emphasis)

The ACLU says it’s been working with the MTA on this very issue for five years, with no satisfactory result.

Meaning they haven't gotten it worked out in that time frame and that the following MTA comment is disingenuous:

"The MTA admits the officers were in error."

 

[fwellers]

I wish the patriot act would burn in hell ! I hate George Bush for making it happen and I can't stand anyone who thinks it's ok to take away civil liberties because of it.
someday I'll tell ya how I really feel. <grinning>

 

[skieur]

Not the first or last time this will happen.

I think for brazen violations such as this, people should be suspended for a short period of time and be forced to go to a mandatory training so that they'll think twice about trying to stop a person from photographing when it's completely legal and within their rights. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening so it looks like being sue happy is the only way to make departments pay attention.

I agree. The only way to get their attention is a substantial lawsuit for harassment and violating civil rights.

skieur

 

[molested_cow]

It's one thing to have laws but another to enforce it. Sadly, these bad enforcers are people whose intelligence never graduated from high school. They are given the authority but really don't have the wisdom to execute it correctly.

And it's not just cops. You can find such idiots in most US government agencies. DMV, social security office etc. Hell I got yield at by a volunteer staff while taking photos of cars at a public car show!

 

[fwellers]

It's one thing to have laws but another to enforce it. Sadly, these bad enforcers are people whose intelligence never graduated from high school. They are given the authority but really don't have the wisdom to execute it correctly.

And it's not just cops. You can find such idiots in most US government agencies. DMV, social security office etc. Hell I got yield at by a volunteer staff while taking photos of cars at a public car show!

The building I work in has IBM as another tenant. I was walking around the parking garage shooting pics one day, and a guy presented himself as "IBM SECURITY" and wanted to know what I was doing taking pictures of "his" facility. I was matter of fact that it's a public place and he can't stop me. He tried to give me all the standard crap, and when he saw I wasn't intimidated he stormed off cussing, telling me that I am what's wrong with this country etc...
How much you wanna bet he'd applied and been rejected for every law enforcment agency around here. :thumbdown::thumbdown:

 

[wmpratt]

A little over a year ago I was invited as part of the company I work for to tour the Port of Baltimore. I brought my camera but was told I could not take any pictures of the terminals without written permission. However when we went on a ship's bridge the tour guide walked over to me and told me I could take pictures out the window of the terminals. The ship was private property and they couldn't stop me from taking pictures from there.

 

[Village Idiot]

It's one thing to have laws but another to enforce it. Sadly, these bad enforcers are people whose intelligence never graduated from high school. They are given the authority but really don't have the wisdom to execute it correctly.

And it's not just cops. You can find such idiots in most US government agencies. DMV, social security office etc. Hell I got yield at by a volunteer staff while taking photos of cars at a public car show!

The building I work in has IBM as another tenant. I was walking around the parking garage shooting pics one day, and a guy presented himself as "IBM SECURITY" and wanted to know what I was doing taking pictures of "his" facility. I was matter of fact that it's a public place and he can't stop me. He tried to give me all the standard crap, and when he saw I wasn't intimidated he stormed off cussing, telling me that I am what's wrong with this country etc...
How much you wanna bet he'd applied and been rejected for every law enforcment agency around here. :thumbdown::thumbdown:

Technically, if you don't have permission from the people in the building and you're walking around in a parking garage, you can be told to leave. Parking garages are generally private property.

A little over a year ago I was invited as part of the company I work for to tour the Port of Baltimore. I brought my camera but was told I could not take any pictures of the terminals without written permission. However when we went on a ship's bridge the tour guide walked over to me and told me I could take pictures out the window of the terminals. The ship was private property and they couldn't stop me from taking pictures from there.

Which is BS. The only place I know in the place I know of within the Philamoremond D.C. corridor that you can't shoot like that is the Pentagon Metro stop and that's because it's actually on Pentagon property. If you're standing on public property you're free to shoot whatever.

 

[djacobox372]

I'm getting awfully tired of this "post 911 environment" BS.


It makes about as much sense to me as the "post pearl harbor environment" excuse that created this shameful behavior:

 

[Butter Jeweler]

"The MTA admits the officers were in error."

'nuff said, they'll work it out.

Yeah, you said it. I wish others would realize this point and not go off the deep end thinking cops are a different breed of person, we all make mistakes and at least in this case they are admitting and hopefully learning from this.