Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal - What are they afraid of?

[ClosedCaption]

Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal


A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would make it illegal for private citizens to record police within 25 feet.

House Bill 2918, introduced by state Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) on Tuesday, would make the offense a misdemeanor. Citizens who are armed would not be permitted to record police activity within 100 feet of an officer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Only representatives of radio or TV organizations that hold an FCC license, newspapers and magazines would have the right to record police.

The legislator disagreed with people on Twitter who said he’s seeking to make all filming of cops illegal.

“My bill ... just asks filmers to stand back a little so as not to interfere with law enforcement,” Villalba tweeted.



Yeah you cant have public servants being watched by the public they serve. Stand back a ways....like all the way out of zoom capabilities

 

[TNHarley]

At first I agreed with you.. but then I thought about it. What cops wants to get elbowed by some civilian when he is trying to arrest a criminal?

 

[ClosedCaption]

At first I agreed with you.. but then I thought about it. What cops wants to get elbowed by some civilian when he is trying to arrest a criminal?

Elbows arent 25 feet long

 

[jillian]

Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal


A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would make it illegal for private citizens to record police within 25 feet.

House Bill 2918, introduced by state Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) on Tuesday, would make the offense a misdemeanor. Citizens who are armed would not be permitted to record police activity within 100 feet of an officer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Only representatives of radio or TV organizations that hold an FCC license, newspapers and magazines would have the right to record police.

The legislator disagreed with people on Twitter who said he’s seeking to make all filming of cops illegal.

“My bill ... just asks filmers to stand back a little so as not to interfere with law enforcement,” Villalba tweeted.



Yeah you cant have public servants being watched by the public they serve. Stand back a ways....like all the way out of zoom capabilities

amazing....

I think it was the last shooting with the healthcare worker lying on his back with his hands in the air that precipitated this...

to be fair... .I haven't read the bill.... the sponsor says that it is a distance issue because getting within 100 feet of the police during their activities.

that said. they don't make anti-choice lynch mobs stay 100 feet away from abortion clinics.

 

[martybegan]

Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal


A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would make it illegal for private citizens to record police within 25 feet.

House Bill 2918, introduced by state Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) on Tuesday, would make the offense a misdemeanor. Citizens who are armed would not be permitted to record police activity within 100 feet of an officer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Only representatives of radio or TV organizations that hold an FCC license, newspapers and magazines would have the right to record police.

The legislator disagreed with people on Twitter who said he’s seeking to make all filming of cops illegal.

“My bill ... just asks filmers to stand back a little so as not to interfere with law enforcement,” Villalba tweeted.



Yeah you cant have public servants being watched by the public they serve. Stand back a ways....like all the way out of zoom capabilities

Make it 5 feet, and that would be considered reasonable. 25 feet is crazy.

 

[BULLDOG]

At first I agreed with you.. but then I thought about it. What cops wants to get elbowed by some civilian when he is trying to arrest a criminal?

It's already against the law to interfere with police duties. I can see making someone who is armed stay back, because it would make it easier for the cop to identify who is the good guy, and who is the bad guy, but a camera is not a gun.

 

[martybegan]

Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal


A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would make it illegal for private citizens to record police within 25 feet.

House Bill 2918, introduced by state Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) on Tuesday, would make the offense a misdemeanor. Citizens who are armed would not be permitted to record police activity within 100 feet of an officer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Only representatives of radio or TV organizations that hold an FCC license, newspapers and magazines would have the right to record police.

The legislator disagreed with people on Twitter who said he’s seeking to make all filming of cops illegal.

“My bill ... just asks filmers to stand back a little so as not to interfere with law enforcement,” Villalba tweeted.



Yeah you cant have public servants being watched by the public they serve. Stand back a ways....like all the way out of zoom capabilities

amazing....

I think it was the last shooting with the healthcare worker lying on his back with his hands in the air that precipitated this...

to be fair... .I haven't read the bill.... the sponsor says that it is a distance issue because getting within 100 feet of the police during their activities.

that said. they don't make anti-choice lynch mobs stay 100 feet away from abortion clinics.

Yeah, some lynch mob.

 

[MikeK]

I can understand the 25' rule, although it is about 5' more than necessary, but the 100' rule if one is armed is baffling to me. It's okay to record from a 25' distance but not if one is carrying a weapon, in which case the rule is 100'. ???

Someone help me out.

 

[TNHarley]

At first I agreed with you.. but then I thought about it. What cops wants to get elbowed by some civilian when he is trying to arrest a criminal?

Elbows arent 25 feet long

while I agree 25 feet is a bit far, you never know what could happen.
What if a cop was wrestling some dumbfuck and some little limp wrist was recording it, got hit in the violence, and sued the fuck out of the city?

 

[Wyatt earp]

Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal


A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would make it illegal for private citizens to record police within 25 feet.

House Bill 2918, introduced by state Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) on Tuesday, would make the offense a misdemeanor. Citizens who are armed would not be permitted to record police activity within 100 feet of an officer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Only representatives of radio or TV organizations that hold an FCC license, newspapers and magazines would have the right to record police.

The legislator disagreed with people on Twitter who said he’s seeking to make all filming of cops illegal.

“My bill ... just asks filmers to stand back a little so as not to interfere with law enforcement,” Villalba tweeted.



Yeah you cant have public servants being watched by the public they serve. Stand back a ways....like all the way out of zoom capabilities

Make it 5 feet, and that would be considered reasonable. 25 feet is crazy.

?

What is so unreasonable about 25 feet? That's only around two car lengths away and you can say to the cop you have a legal right to do it, in other states the cop will arrest you on trumped up charges.

 

[saintmichaeldefendthem]

Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal


A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would make it illegal for private citizens to record police within 25 feet.

House Bill 2918, introduced by state Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) on Tuesday, would make the offense a misdemeanor. Citizens who are armed would not be permitted to record police activity within 100 feet of an officer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Only representatives of radio or TV organizations that hold an FCC license, newspapers and magazines would have the right to record police.

The legislator disagreed with people on Twitter who said he’s seeking to make all filming of cops illegal.

“My bill ... just asks filmers to stand back a little so as not to interfere with law enforcement,” Villalba tweeted.



Yeah you cant have public servants being watched by the public they serve. Stand back a ways....like all the way out of zoom capabilities

The trend I'm seeing that I find disturbing is ignoring the federal and Supreme courts when they make a ruling, creating another constitutional issue that the courts already solved. The Supreme Court already ruled that it's legal to record the police. The issue should be settled and not subject to further challenges.

People already have diminished faith in our government, but we are nearing a danger zone when our very system of checks and balances is disregarded.

The last time the Supreme Court was ignored was right before the Civil War.

 

[martybegan]

Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal


A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would make it illegal for private citizens to record police within 25 feet.

House Bill 2918, introduced by state Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) on Tuesday, would make the offense a misdemeanor. Citizens who are armed would not be permitted to record police activity within 100 feet of an officer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Only representatives of radio or TV organizations that hold an FCC license, newspapers and magazines would have the right to record police.

The legislator disagreed with people on Twitter who said he’s seeking to make all filming of cops illegal.

“My bill ... just asks filmers to stand back a little so as not to interfere with law enforcement,” Villalba tweeted.



Yeah you cant have public servants being watched by the public they serve. Stand back a ways....like all the way out of zoom capabilities

Make it 5 feet, and that would be considered reasonable. 25 feet is crazy.

?

What is so unreasonable about 25 feet? That's only around two car lengths away and you can say to the cop you have a legal right to do it, in other states the cop will arrest you on trumped up charges.

it just seems arbitrary. I can see being within 5 feet as an issue, but 25 feet is across the street in some locations.

 

[Care4all]

So if you are exercising your right to bear arms, you are restricted from recording police in action? Huh?

 

[RodISHI]

Didn't Illinois do that a few years back?

 

[ClosedCaption]

At first I agreed with you.. but then I thought about it. What cops wants to get elbowed by some civilian when he is trying to arrest a criminal?

Elbows arent 25 feet long

while I agree 25 feet is a bit far, you never know what could happen.
What if a cop was wrestling some dumbfuck and some little limp wrist was recording it, got hit in the violence, and sued the fuck out of the city?

There is no excuse you can use to make recording public servants illegal that makes sense.

 

[ClosedCaption]

Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal


A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would make it illegal for private citizens to record police within 25 feet.

House Bill 2918, introduced by state Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) on Tuesday, would make the offense a misdemeanor. Citizens who are armed would not be permitted to record police activity within 100 feet of an officer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Only representatives of radio or TV organizations that hold an FCC license, newspapers and magazines would have the right to record police.

The legislator disagreed with people on Twitter who said he’s seeking to make all filming of cops illegal.

“My bill ... just asks filmers to stand back a little so as not to interfere with law enforcement,” Villalba tweeted.



Yeah you cant have public servants being watched by the public they serve. Stand back a ways....like all the way out of zoom capabilities

Make it 5 feet, and that would be considered reasonable. 25 feet is crazy.

?

What is so unreasonable about 25 feet? That's only around two car lengths away and you can say to the cop you have a legal right to do it, in other states the cop will arrest you on trumped up charges.

Whats reasonable about 25 feet?

What are cops afraid you're going to record?

 

[TNHarley]

At first I agreed with you.. but then I thought about it. What cops wants to get elbowed by some civilian when he is trying to arrest a criminal?

Elbows arent 25 feet long

while I agree 25 feet is a bit far, you never know what could happen.
What if a cop was wrestling some dumbfuck and some little limp wrist was recording it, got hit in the violence, and sued the fuck out of the city?

There is no excuse you can use to make recording public servants illegal that makes sense.

that's not what they did, dumbass

 

[RodISHI]

At first I agreed with you.. but then I thought about it. What cops wants to get elbowed by some civilian when he is trying to arrest a criminal?

Elbows arent 25 feet long

while I agree 25 feet is a bit far, you never know what could happen.
What if a cop was wrestling some dumbfuck and some little limp wrist was recording it, got hit in the violence, and sued the fuck out of the city?

There is no excuse you can use to make recording public servants illegal that makes sense.

I could see if they made a requirement to post entire videos so pieces cannot be used to inflame hatred.

 

[Wyatt earp]

Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal


A bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives would make it illegal for private citizens to record police within 25 feet.

House Bill 2918, introduced by state Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) on Tuesday, would make the offense a misdemeanor. Citizens who are armed would not be permitted to record police activity within 100 feet of an officer, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Only representatives of radio or TV organizations that hold an FCC license, newspapers and magazines would have the right to record police.

The legislator disagreed with people on Twitter who said he’s seeking to make all filming of cops illegal.

“My bill ... just asks filmers to stand back a little so as not to interfere with law enforcement,” Villalba tweeted.



Yeah you cant have public servants being watched by the public they serve. Stand back a ways....like all the way out of zoom capabilities

Make it 5 feet, and that would be considered reasonable. 25 feet is crazy.

?

What is so unreasonable about 25 feet? That's only around two car lengths away and you can say to the cop you have a legal right to do it, in other states the cop will arrest you on trumped up charges.

it just seems arbitrary. I can see being within 5 feet as an issue, but 25 feet is across the street in some locations.

I get you but I think it is a good idea to have a law to back up the citizens.


Know Your Rights When Taking Photos and Making Video and Audio Recordings :: ACLU of Pennsylvania

• Police officers may order citizens to cease activities that are truly interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations. In general, a court will trust an officer's judgment about what is "interfering" more than yours. So if an officer orders you to stand back, do so.
• If the officer says he/she will arrest you if you continue to use your camera, in most circumstances it is better to put the camera away and call the ACLU for help, rather than risking arrest.

You have a right to capture images in public places, but you don't always have a right to record what people say. Pennsylvania's Wiretap Law makes it illegal to record private conversations - which can include conversations in public places - without the consent of all parties to the conversation.

 

[ClosedCaption]

At first I agreed with you.. but then I thought about it. What cops wants to get elbowed by some civilian when he is trying to arrest a criminal?

Elbows arent 25 feet long

while I agree 25 feet is a bit far, you never know what could happen.
What if a cop was wrestling some dumbfuck and some little limp wrist was recording it, got hit in the violence, and sued the fuck out of the city?

There is no excuse you can use to make recording public servants illegal that makes sense.

I could see if they made a requirement to post entire videos so pieces cannot be used to inflame hatred.

Yeah but then when they cut their body cams off....?