It’s a often-heard story: a photographer is shooting in a public place and security shoos them away, or worse, takes them into custody. Thanks to a recent settlement with the NYCLU, however, all federal personnel should be aware and adhere to a clarified set of rules and, in the end, allow photogs to shoot away.
The Information Bulletin, after the jump, state clear that almost all photographic activity is in the clear and that:
Officers should not seize the camera or its contents, and must be cautious not to give such ‘orders’ to a photographer to erase the contents of a camera, as this constitutes a seizure or detention.
Does this mean you’re free to snap away? Well, in theory, yes, but I suspect there will still be extreme instances where this bulletin is ignored in total and the photographer hustled from the scene. Ideally this would never happen but, as we know, in this era the price of security is eternal badgering.
FPS Information Bulletin http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=47627164&access_key=key-c8j2o585awx7cpuiosf&page=1&viewMode=list
