The NYPD Abuse No One Blinks An Eye At

Does 9/11 really change everything? I know Bush says so, his Republican counterparts and anyone that wants to put security in front of liberty. I'm not talking about common sense things here, when I'm in Israel I expect someone to wave one of those bomb-detecting wands before I walk in any store. We don't need it here, but if we did....well lets hope it doesn't get that bad, besides Israel is nothing like the situation in the United States.

My problem is when police accost citizens for doing things that have nothing to do with security and all about showing their authority when it is completely unnecessary, like what happened to this blogger when taking panoramic pictures on the subway platform in Queens. A few plainclothes cops came up and started asking questions without any good reason for it.

From Telescreen:

He asks me for ID, and I show him my driver's license, and one of the other cops writes down my information. The lead officer, the one who's been doing all the talking, says he "can see that I'm just a little railroad buff" and that I'm not doing anything wrong. I tell him that I'm really more of a New York City buff and photography buff than a transit buff (I found his phrasing patronizing, but wasn't going to tell him that), show him my sightseeing-guide license, and tell him that I understand why he stopped me and wanted to find out what I was doing, and that I didn't mind. I also tell him that we're all on the same side here -- I go all over New York City to shoot pictures, and that the NYPD should cultivate good relations with street photographers like me, since we're well-poised to alert the cops if we see something truly suspicious.

One of the other cops asks me if I put my photos online, saying that he's heard that sometimes train buffs contribute photos to a website with pictures of the subway. I reply that I'm not a part of a website like that, but that I do put my photos on the Web. He says "oh, like a Flickr account or something?" and I allow that yes, I do have a Flickr account. (I was surprised he didn't ask me for the URL.) The cops then went on their way.

I shot a couple more pictures, but my heart wasn't really in it, and I just wanted to go home. The encounter really rattled me; the officers weren't abusive or hostile, but getting questioned unexpectedly by three plainclothes cops is, in a word, intimidating. The lieutenant had that very direct, I'm-totally-in-control-of-this-situation attitude that cops tend to have, and I just knew that in any interaction with the police, one false move can mean ruining your whole day/weekend, even if you're completely in the right.

The personal account goes on, saying that in hindsight and with some web surfing you can find out that one does not have to give their information to the police 'just because.' Cops need probable cause, no ifs, ands or buts. No one likes being the center of attention of police officers, especially when you have done nothing wrong, as was the case for this innocent blogger/photographer. Is this what "9/11" has done to us, given too much authority for the police to boss around ordinary people? Why do we have to feel like we are doing something wrong when there is absolutely no logical reason for it?

Bloomberg Relents To Photography And The First Amendment

In addition to freedom of speech, the freedom of expression is inherent in the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. Well the Mayor didn't think too highly of that freedom when his film office proposed restrictions and fines for people taking photos and films in the city. Needless to say, the new rules produced an outcry from the community demanding it be rescinded. The Mayor finally backed down today.

From The NYT CityRoom:

Katherine Oliver, the commissioner of the film office, said the rules would be revised based on feedback the office has received over the past two months. A period for public comment, which was scheduled to end today, will be reopened for another 30-day period after the redrafted rules are published.

The city appears to be modifying its position — if not backing down entirely — as a result of a settlement from a recent lawsuit brought by the New York Civil Liberties Union. The civil liberties group had threatened to a file a new suit over the proposed rules. (See the text of the proposal as a PDF.)

The mayor’s film office said in a statement:

By reflecting existing procedures in city rules, M.O.F.T.B. has endeavored to meet the challenge of identifying a threshold level of activity which necessitates a film permit, while at the same time substantially mirroring its current practices. The goal is to maintain a safe environment for the public, while balancing the needs of filmmakers whose work may have a significant impact on pedestrian or vehicular use of public space.

The carefully worded statement from the film office pretty much says, "sorry, nevermind." Of course when it comes to PR, signaling defeat requires a confusing statement that tries to make the film office look as good as possible. No matter how the city parses their words, this is a victory for photographers and filmmakers, New Yorkers and the First Amendment.

Bush's Face On Sale

At one time a picture with you and George Bush would have cost $25,000. When it came time to decide whether to buy that new car or to hang something obscene above your fireplace, a serious family meeting had to take place. Well things are looking good for Republican families these days, because the White House is having a sale. That very same picture is now 80 percent off!

From Newsweek:

Gas prices may be up, but there's something that's apparently a little cheaper these days: A photo with President Bush. Yesterday, Bush headlined a fundraiser for the New Jersey state GOP, where donors could pay $5,000 to pose for a photo with the Commander in Chief. Expensive photo op, right? Well, that's actually cheaper that what donors paid just a year ago for a grip and grin with Bush. Last summer, GOP officials around the country charged at least $10,000 a pop for presidential photo op, a bargain compared to the $25,000-a-flash Bush commanded during some Republican National Committee fund-raisers back in 2000 and 2004. Maybe it's just a Jersey thing. Although Bush's poll numbers are low nationally, the president is particularly unpopular in New Jersey, where his approval rating is just 25 percent according to one recent poll. In fact, Bush hadn't campaigned in the state since 2005. Last summer, the GOP relied instead on other administration emissaries like Karl Rove, Vice President Dick Cheney and former President George H.W. Bush. They all campaigned for Tom Kean Jr., who ran for (and ultimately lost) New Jersey's U.S. Senate seat. For the record, a photo with Rove cost donors $1,000, while pictures with Cheney and Bush's dad were priced at $5,000. But that's peanuts. In June 2006, donors at a Kean fundraiser paid $10,000 a piece for a photo op with First Lady Laura Bush. At least President Bush can feel good about one thing: Wednesday's event took in about $675,000 for New Jersey Republicans, not a bad haul in a state where most people would rather get a souvenir pic of the president walking out the door.

I don't think that is a New Jersey thing, its an economic thing. Supply and demand comes into play here because as the amount of people that can stand taking a picture with The Decider dwindles, the product ultimately becomes cheaper. I thought Republicans were supposed to understand these things. Oh wait, they completely screwed up the nation's economy in the last six years or so....nevermind.

Terrorism With A Camera

New York City officials want to put a new law in place that restricts photographers and filmmakers from being possible terrorists. This ridiculous proposition will require a permit to film for more than thirty minutes or ten minutes if you use a tripod. If they think they are going to make us safer by forcing people to go to the city with filming requests, the city has another thing coming.

There is going to be a hearing on the matter in the near future, so if you like to photograph all the interesting sights and people of New York, stay tuned for when this is going to happen. The last thing city rule makers need to be doing is cracking down on artists armed with 35mm cameras. They should pay attention to other things than this type of Big Brother crap.