Cops have been put on notice: Let the cameras roll.
Camera-shy cops across the city were reminded they can’t legally take action to stop someone from filming them while they’re on the beat, the Daily News has learned. The refresher was provided in a memo the chief of department’s office distributed to all police commands Wednesday.
“Members of the public are legally allowed to record police interactions,” the memo states. “Intentional interference such as blocking or obstructing cameras or ordering the person to cease constitutes censorship and also violates the First Amendment.”
Cops can take action if videographers and shutterbugs “interfere with police operations,” the memo notes.
More NYPD interactions with the public are being recorded. Video played a significant role in shaping reaction to the death of Eric Garner of Staten Island, who died after a cop placed him in a chokehold, a move banned by the NYPD.
