Thomas Hawk Digital Connection

Thanks to Kevin Fox, who posted an image of the Investigation of Individuals Engaged in Suspicious Photography and Video Surveillance, NYPD Operations Order on FriendFeed this weekend on FriendFeed (click through here for a full sized view).

You might remember this order from a posting here last month based on a New York Post article on the order’s issuance.

If you are photographer in New York or plan on shooting in New York, I’d highly recommend printing out a copy of this order and carrying it with you. You might find it helpful to have if you are hassled by authority figures over your photography.

This operations order is a good reminder to law enforcement everywhere that photography is in fact a normal lawful pursuit practiced by millions of ordinary non-threatening Americans every day of the year. In part, the order above reads: "Members of the Service are reminded that photography and videotaping of public places, buildings and structures are common activities within New York City. Given the City’s prominence as a tourist destination, practically all such photography will have no connection to terrorism or unlawful conduct." The order goes on to remind officers that they may not ask people to delete there photos and that they may not look at people’s private camera photos without a warrant.