New Indiana pro police law

[JcMack]

Since July 1 Indiana has a law on the books that requires bystanders and nosey videographers to maintain a distance of 25 feet from any police officer on the scene of a traffic stop, crime or anything requiring a police presence to resolve an issue. The officer or officers involved has the option of invoking the law, it's not yet an absolute. A worthless Schmuck who makes his living off filming police encounters and putting them on the web has filed suit to have the law repealed. If the law stands, he will have go back to his job cleaning cess pits or move to Chicago.

Suit challenges new law allowing police keep bystanders away

 

[Doug M.]

It is a tricky balance. Cops are public employees and their work is generally public. The problem presented is that when uninvolved parties are too close (and 25 feet is likely too close), they are a distraction from the matter at hand, as they have to be watched and considered. It is not unknown for accomplices and others to pretend to be watching until they get a chance to interfere.

There are a lot of hard learned lessons about human behavior that cops pick up as a part of their work. These are not understood by people who do not have the same experiences, which results in legislators, prosecutors and defense attorneys, and judges making decisions that are completely cockamamie. This law is an outlier, but I suspect the lawsuit will get more traction than it should because those litigating to defend it will not have an adequate understanding of patrol procedures. I've seen that with other litigation.

 

[Targets Guy]

Go Hoosiers.

 

[LVSteve]

Keeping cellphone videographers from getting underfoot sounds like a good plan for LE. 25ft is not an obstacle to a proper camera and lens, so I don't see any problem with the law.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

25ft is not an obstacle to a proper camera and lens.

I have found I can no longer see details beyond 15' with my eyeballs, so I use my cell phone camera to magnify these details (small gunstore price tags) and expand them . So image quality should be a non-issue with Indiania's law.

Ivan

 

[alwslate]

Don't expect the law to be enforced in soft on crime Indianapolis.

 

[SMSgt]

Didn't the courts already shoot down a like law in AZ or someplace? Don't see this one lasting long either.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Tell that to Princess Diana . . .

Keeping cellphone videographers from getting underfoot sounds like a good plan for LE. 25ft is not an obstacle to a proper camera and lens, so I don't see any problem with the law.