Despite New Policy On Videotaping Of Officers By Citizens, Lawsuit v. Philadelphia Moves Forward
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The local ACLU is applauding Philadelphia's police commissioner for issuing a policy on the videotaping of officers by citizens. But the group is not giving up plans to sue the city over that issue anyway.
Commissioner Ramsey has issued a written policy clarifying to officers that citizens have the right to videotape them. ACLU attorney Mary Catherine Roper applauds the move, for the moment.
"A new policy is a great start. But these officers need to be trained, supervised and disciplined if necessary to make sure this kind of stuff doesn't happen," Roper says.
In fact, Roper says the ACLU will move ahead with a planned lawsuit against the city on behalf of several citizens who say their cell phones or cameras were seized and even damaged by officers, and they faced arrest simply for videotaping those officers. The suit may be filed in a few weeks. A spokesman for the police department says the new policy will go a long way toward providing clarity to the officers on handling such situations.
Reported by Mike Dunn, KYW Newsradio
