Why are cops so poorly informed? The TSA has made it clear they don’t object to photography of their checkpoints. So why must cops continuously harass peaceful photographers exercising those rights mentioned in the first amendment? It boggles the mind.
One of the photographers, Carlos Miller, blogs about the experience:
On the day before Thanksgiving, what is supposedly the busiest day of the year for airline travel, a friend and I ventured to Miami International Airport to test the Transportation Security Administration’s policy on photographing security checkpoints.
We were also there to see if anybody had opted-out of the controversial scanners that allow TSA officials to see through people’s clothes.
We expected to encounter crowds and chaos and all sorts of madness, but the airport appeared to be running very smoothly, which is rare for MIA on even the slowest traveling days.
Officials reported that nobody had been opting out, but we also noticed at least two machines were not even being used.
As far as videotaping the checkpoints, we were confronted twice by Miami-Dade police officers.
Well……I can see not wanting anyone to photograph any part of the airport. THAT security measure is one I understand. The same rules apply to military installations, war ships, etc. and for the same reason.
The TSA does NOT prohibit photography of their checkpoints.
Tracy
Do you realize there are probably thousands of videos and photos of just about every airport in the world? If you can see it to photograph it, then where is the security issue?
This nonsense of somehow a photo comprises security of plainly visible places is something the government is slowly trying to plant in the public’s mind.
You are free to take photos in any public area, please goggle “Photographer’s bill of rights”, you may learn something.
LMAO – did you really expect either the TSA OR local law enforcement to know their ass from a hole in the ground??? Your experience just underscores the fact that these so called checkpoints are nothing more than security theater to appease the sheep who actually buy into being irradiated or sexually molested in the name of security.
Keystone cops. The public should not have to educate TSA officers – they should be educated by their employer before they are allowed to deal with the public. But, given that their supervisors encourage them to sign off as having completed and understood online training courses (see the ACLU’s website re this reference) is it any wonder TDA officers don’t know what they are doing?
I second this comment.
It seems to me that education of facts is a key component to real freedom and safety… not the suspension of freedoms in areas deemed “high-risk,” especially by government officials.
Actually I thought the Police acted reasonably. No threats, no yelling, no abusing their authority. They admitted their mistake, and went on their way.
They can ask you to do anything, there is no law that says a police can’t ask you to do something, but there are laws that allow you NOT to do what they ask. If you know the law and act respectful to the police, I would hope the police would act the same back, as in this video.
They are hoping that you do not know the law, and can get you to consent to their requests. Once you start showing you are ignorant of the law, then you open yourself up for more invasive questioning and requests for information.
Politely tell the officer, (don’t ask, as they do not have to provide you with legal advice) that you have the right to do what you know is legal.
In this video, I would say the police acted responsibly and courteously towards the photographers.
Police are allowed to get around the Fourth Amendment by “asking.” They may not do anything to infringe First Amendment rights including asking: chilling effect. Cannot even ask your ID if you dis them. Can the police come around asking the ID of everybody who criticizes the mayor? Chilling.
Not only the First Amendment but also the 1964 Federal Civil Rights Act comes into play protecting free speech — the latter for “conspiracy” which I presume means more than one person infringing free speech together. I am not a lawyer.
Asking for ID or “papers please” smacks of Nazi Germany. And police do this all the time even when people are not suspected of a crime. They should not be “tricksters” hoping that citizens don’t know their rights and the law. They ought to be educated and correct in all they do in the line of duty. It is sickening to hear people in these comments actually praise them for not being abusive! A dog has to be a good dog, not just one who doesn’t have rabies or bite often. Police officers should be correct, decent, and even honorable. They shouldn’t be appreciated for not being abusive. We should demand that as the “good guys” they conduct themselves on a higher level.
Who has jurisdiction in an airport? The Feds or the local police?
In my airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, you’ll see Allegheny County police. I imagine that in any airport you have a local police presence because they have local jurisdiction. With the increasing “federalization” I get the impression that the Feds are pushing out the locals. I can’t imagine that most of the local police look at the people wearing blue gloves, hired by ads on pizza boxes, and favor this impression. If I’m not mistaken (correct me if I’m wrong) the TSA agents call the local police and have them arrest anyone they say to arrest.
In the Miami case, it might be better to ask one of the local police a very innocent question. “Officer, where in this airport do you local guys still have responsibility? Just the parking lot outside or inside too?” Or if you really want to rub it in, “Officer, do you have to do whatever the TSA agents say too?”
Maybe there is an activism angle here that can be formed with the local police, but I can’t quite think of it at the moment. In the meantime, buy a cop a cup of coffee and ask if your friend could take a picture of both of you shaking hands at the airport. Thank him/her and explain that you want to show your grandkids that there was a time when we had local police in local airports.
Now all I will really add is the airport it self reserves the right to refuse you to use certain items in different places. I do not know if they have done that yet or not. I know if you go over to the Food court and start taking pictures there you can be asked to stop due to copyrights and other things like that. I only know that because I use to be in Year Book for my high school and one of the things was getting to see some of the students where they work. At different places we were told where we could and coulnd take pictures due to there local Policy . Is that a law ? NO not at all but that is still enough for them to ask you to leave.. then Tell you, and if needed call the police and then you are disturbing the peace or what ever they can pull up, and bam. legally they have you…..Just trying to offer another view.
First of all, security is always filming us, but they protest if we film them. Second, most crimes are inside jobs. Having said that, I think it is the publics duty to watch big brother as much as they watch us. Obviously they have a problem with that, so maybe its because they want to hide something from the public. These gentlemen were brave and polite. The police intimidation was “polite”, but it would have escalated in a moment given the resistance.