Ft Worth Cops????

[ndsimm]

in town a few days for training and wanted to get some shots of downtown....I don't get but a few blocks from the hotel and I get approached by not one but two bike cops telling me I can't shoot the towers Was it my tripod? My camera? what gives???

[hookem]

Cops who don't know the law or just hyper-sensitive since 9-11.

[CaptainTom]

Originally Posted by ndsimm

in town a few days for training and wanted to get some shots of downtown....I don't get but a few blocks from the hotel and I get approached by not one but two bike cops telling me I can't shoot the towers Was it my tripod? My camera? what gives???

HMM??? I've not come across this from other photogs in the Ft. Worth downtown area.
I would question them as to the legality of restricting your actions as long as you were on a public street. I can almost forgive a request to not shoot if nicely done, but if they told you you couldn't shoot the towers I would probably create a fuss. Where they Ft. Worth Police officers ? Or where they the very prevalent "Bass Security Force"?
You have to be careful when challenging the officers, because if you have a tripod you might be considered and endangerement, etc.

I would love to challenge this "policy", and may go down there myself and check it out.

[ndsimm]

I drove in from Houston, so I was too tired to argue tonight, but I will give it another go tomorrow. I didn't pay too much attention to the name, but I just saw a badge on a t-shirt on a fat guy on a bike

I'll let you know tomorrow what happens, thanks for the assist......

[Hogleg 44]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

HMM??? I've not come across this from other photogs in the Ft. Worth downtown area.
I would question them as to the legality of restricting your actions as long as you were on a public street. I can almost forgive a request to not shoot if nicely done, but if they told you you couldn't shoot the towers I would probably create a fuss. Where they Ft. Worth Police officers ? Or where they the very prevalent "Bass Security Force"?
You have to be careful when challenging the officers, because if you have a tripod you might be considered and endangerement, etc.

I would love to challenge this "policy", and may go down there myself and check it out.

I do recall another similar thread some time back. I think the TPF member making the post was wanting to shoot the Federal building so something similar downtown. Some type of "Official" approached and told him that he wasn't allowed to shoot the building and a long thread pursued about 'photographers rights'.

[ndsimm]

a few I got before the "incident"

[lucian]

I think this is the post to which hogleg44 referred:

http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...ghlight=doctor

[Dokk]

Hmmm...fat guy with badge stenciled on t-shirt on bike. Sounds like Bass rent-a-cops to me. I've never had any problems downtown with the real Ft. Worth police other than when I had a tripod and one asked me, very couteously I might add, to be careful and not obstruct the flow of traffic on the sidewalk. The police on horseback are actually used to people taking photos of them and will pose for you, to a point. If "Perry's Boys" don't want you to take shots fo thier glass castle, there are so many other photo ops downtown. One thing I would recommend, get a pack or two of really cheap cogs to carry around with you. Homeless in DT are relatively harmeless and a few cigs or one dollar bills will send them away happy and they won't mess with you after that. Also, use common sense downtown. If you wouldn't walk down that dark alley by yourself back home, don't do it here.

[mivy00]

How long you in town for Nathan

[AlexMorse]

It's completely legal for you to photograph any building from public property. They can restrict your photo access when you're on their property, and they can enforce copyright if you're selling the images and they have copyrighted the building (very rare.)

Otherwise, they have absolutely no legal ground to stand on. With this becoming more and more common it's tempting to always carry a "press" pass when shooting in these areas, sure it may not help, but it may persuade some of the rent a cops and more ignorant to back off.

[AndrewCCM]

I shoot downtown all the time.. They are the Bass cops.. Typically, they'll stop you and state, "You know the photography rules downtown right?".. My response is..."Yep...I can shoot from the street on public property, but cannot shoot while on private property..."

That is the law.

They are typically cool to me...and are for the most part...good for the downtown Sundance area.. Keep the place nice and safe (mostly).

[jerrykr]

I think the Ft Worth Police Bike cops wear full uniforms, with shorts and a bike helmet, if I recall. I don't think I've ever seen them in a t-shirt. Must have been security guys.

I've only talked to one once. I was by myself on a bridge taking night skyline shots. He stopped his car to make sure I was OK. Nice guy.

-=- Jerry -=-
/*

[suerenee]

I had the same thing happen to me at the Frost Bank Tower in Austin last Christmas. I was shooting my kids by their Christmas display. The security guard stated that photography was not allowed in or around the building. I had my kids with me so I really didn't push it.

However, before I left I mentioned to him to look at the number of camera phones that were in the building. And right then a couple were having their photo taken with a camera phone right behind the security guard. It was priceless! I know they were overreacting b/c of the guy who photographed that building who was linked to terrorist but please. Now I carry a copy of the "law" that someone posted a while back. Haven't had any problems since then.

I also find offering up my business cards gets them to back down. I guess they figure if I'm willing to ID myself I'm not up to trouble.