Long Beach Security Officer Says She “Doesn’t Care About the Law” and City of Snohomish Settles for $8,000 with Photographer Over Wrongful Detention

Posted on June 9, 2009, 11:06 am, by Thomas Hawk, under Photography is Not a Crime.

The video above is a video from a Discarted.com altercation with a private security guard over a photographer’s right to shoot in public. This video was taken as part of a National Photographers Rights rally in the Port of Long Beach, a place where both security guards and police frequently harass photographers shooting in public. After telling the photographers that they are not allowed to photograph the refinery, the security agent proceeds to tell them that she “doesn’t care about the law.”

Apparently after this altercation, the real cops (Long Beach Harbor Patrol) were dispatched to the scene over a “physical altercation” (with another video forthcoming soon).

This is just another example of routine security guard harassment that takes place frequently with regards to photographers.

In another somewhat related piece, I was pleased today to read that The City of Snohomish has settled for $8,000 with a photographer after their police department unlawfully detained her for taking photographs of power lines. I was especially pleased to see the ACLUs involvement in this case and think that they are becoming a more and more significant ally in the fight for photographer’s rights. It may be that only when more and more of these cities are hit where it counts, in their pocketbooks, that this sort of harassing behavior stops. Thanks, for heads up on this case Adam!

Tags: ACLU, Discarted, Long Beach, Snohomish
Comment (RSS) | Trackback

On FriendFeed, this post was liked by 19 people and commented on 15 times hide

View this post on FriendFeed

Liked by

June 9, 2009 at 7:07 pm Thomas Hawk

The video above is a video from a Discarted.com altercation with a private security guard over a photographer’s right to shoot in public. This video was taken as part of a National Photographers Rights rally in the Port of Long Beach, a place where both security guards and police frequently harass photographers shooting in public. After telling the photographers that they are not allowed to photograph the refinery, the security agent proceeds to tell them that she “doesn’t care about the law.” Apparently after this altercation, the real cops (Long Beach Harbor Patrol) were dispatched to the scene over a “physical altercation” (with another video forthcoming soon). This is just another example of routine security guard harassment that takes place frequently with regards to photographers.
June 9, 2009 at 7:08 pm CW™

time to start wearing recording devices.
June 9, 2009 at 7:24 pm Thomas Hawk

yeah, I may need to get me one of those recording devices as well.
June 9, 2009 at 7:25 pm ChiliMac

I actually think the security guard handled herself well. She did what she is paid to do and didn't take their rejection of her position personally. It is sad that the company she is working for keeps her ignorant of the fact that there is no law. They mislead her so she will approach the job as if she is enforcing the law. And what happens, she get's her face planted on the internet while those who are using her are hiding out.
June 9, 2009 at 7:25 pm Dan Morrill AKA Techwag

This was all over the local news this morning - although I don't know if it will make any real difference.
June 9, 2009 at 7:31 pm Thomas Hawk

which incident Dan, the Long Beach one or the Snohomish one?
June 9, 2009 at 7:32 pm Dan Morrill AKA Techwag

Snohomish one
June 9, 2009 at 7:34 pm Thomas Hawk

good to see the local media promoting the story. Hopefully it makes cops more hesitant to detain photographers who are doing nothing illegal. Hopefully it also encourages photographers that if they are detained for doing something legal that they just might be in line for $8,000. I think a big part of the problem is that 99% of the time nobody ever challenges the cops on these issues. Anything to promote these types of challenges is great in my opinion.
June 9, 2009 at 7:35 pm Thomas Hawk

ChiliMac, you are right, unfortunately, oftentimes many of the security guards are simply pawns in this fight. It's too bad that the companies don't deal honestly with these issues.
June 10, 2009 at 1:49 pm Robert Kenney

This security officer was at least civil and just trying to do what she was told. The boss making the decisions should have been out there to answer to the photog's. I appreciate the actions to raise awareness of photographers rights and the fight to stop harassment by security and law enforcement of these groups. It also appears that a few of these "photoshoots" become as much about baiting the location, hoping to get a response by some "officer", as it is about actually taking photos. How many photos of a refinery from a bridge does one person need anyway? Are they really there to photograph? Or to get paid by catching something happening on video. Overall it's good to raise awareness, but this has transitioned into something else.
June 10, 2009 at 3:32 pm Thomas Hawk

Robert, there is no doubt that this security officer was to a degree baited. This video was made at a National Photographers Rights rally that took place in a location that is notorious for this kind of behavior. I, personally myself, was kicked off the sidewalk in this area by the police for photography. All the more reason to highlight it. If Long Beach Security and the cops there think that they can routinely harass photographers that is even worse than a one off bad apple. It is legal to take photos of these refineries from the sidewalk. If the oil companies, security guards and cops don't like it then they can work to pass legislation to prohibit photography there. Until then though they need to acknowledge the law and act accordingly -- even if they are baited, and I hope they are baited more in the future.
June 10, 2009 at 3:39 pm Jennifer Dittrich

In regards to the Snohomish incident, I'm glad the local media is picking it up, but I really wish that the city would have had to admit that their actions were wrong. Right now, they're basically saying that they weren't wrong, but that they don't want to waste money fighting. Taking photographs of things "out in the wild" still isn't a crime.
June 10, 2009 at 4:01 pm Thomas Hawk

Jennifer that's a very good point. I didn't like that either. It would be better if they had to apologize as part of the settlement as well.
June 10, 2009 at 5:59 pm Robert Kenney

Harassment of photographers is a legitimate issue and needs to stop. Across the country people are questioned, detained, or worse. Unfortunately, some who champion this cause are really fighting a different issue. Reading the blog-posts, comments, and stories of these groups revels that it is a sometimes a cover for an anti-establishment political type of motivation. Actual photography becomes the back-seat issue to an anti-law enforcement baiting issue. That's just my perspective. Eventually this will backfire and defeat the purpose of the original cause. Fine if it's a means to an end, but this baiting approach raises ethical issues.
June 25, 2009 at 2:58 pm Nipun

Does anyone know where to find a copy of the law? I would like to print it and carry it with me.