Updates & A Little WTF

This Wednesday I filed a complaint with the South River Police regarding my interactions with the help of the NJ ACLU. More on that in a few days. What I'm writing about today doesn't really shocks me but kind of puts me into some confusion. Over the last few days I've received some pretty cool comments and connected to some cool & interesting people.

What is kind of confusing is, while most of the photographers I know, understand and sympathize as well as been through the same situations. I was a little put off by this one comment on you tube. I feel if you want to give up your rights go right ahead, but don't go right to the "If you got nothing to hide" crap. I have a right not to be harassed, the right not to be threatened, the right to privacy from government intrusion and the right to be left alone. It is a little worry some that a fellow photographer left that comment & is ok with being Stopped & ID'ed.
Hey pal, I don't know anyone who makes their living as photographer isn't proud of that, what I think you missed is, it being used to treat you like criminal! As for the other one, post 9/11 bs is reason to violate my rights? They hate us for our freedom but don't worry, not for much longer. Screw you, buddy!

If you read this and want to respond to him, go ahead, I'm just going to ignore.  Got a feeling he is either a Statist or might be trollin', so don't feed him.

Gang Bangers In Blue, Part Two

While out & about today, I once again had the pleasure of interacting with the South River Police Dept. This time it was only 3 cops that do not understand my first amendment rights. Apparently walking around a "High Crime Area" with cameras is a detainable excuse. One in which if you refuse to ID, you will go to jail & talk to the judge for obstruction.
So let me fill you in on my first minute or two with Officer Mario Pinto #54. He pulled up as I was walking down the street and said " What are you doing? I want to talk to you". Before I could ask if I was being detained, he said" Let me see your ID or you're going to jail for obstruction and you can tell it to a judge". I was then escorted to the cruiser and he rifled through my pockets looking for an ID. At this point I turned on my camera and started to record. Officer Chris Monek #21 (sp?) then showed up along with Sgt. Gartner #16. And you can see the fun here.

 

I was not on my liberty game today and didn't feel like challenging the obstruction idea, also I made a few mistakes by talking about complaint & info requests. Around here if one gets arrested on a Friday they usually have to wait in the "clink" till around Monday or Tuesday due to MLK day on Monday. Did you notice the part that Pinto asked Monek to make sure I was not recording? I did misquote the request from the DOJ to the judge, it was, if an Officer interferes & seizes a recording device without a warrant that would be unconstitutional. Read about it here.
Anyway if the SRPD thinks they can bully me into not photographing around town, they are mistaken. It has made me want to flex my rights even more and I found some interesting things about Officer Monek.
UPDATE: My inquisitive nature decided to check PTL. Pinto's claim that I was in a high crime rate area. This screen shot is from City Data and in my opinion he is full of it as you can see not much goes on around here.

SR Crime Rate