You or someone that might have been stopped or confronted by law enforcement may want to record their encounter for a numerous amount of reasons. Yet, there are things that you should put in mind before doing so.
- Know the laws of the state you are in:
Even though it may be legal to record an officer in most states, make sure that the state that you are in allows recording an officer without their permission before you make this choice to do so. There is a big chance that you will not ask for permission to record at the moment, so this is just good to know in advance.
- Make sure the officer knows you are recording:
Even if you don’t need permission to record an officer in that state, this does not mean that you should record them without their knowledge. You should still let the officer know what you are doing regardless of the state laws. Let them know that you are recording the encounter and chances are they will inform you that it is illegal or simply ask that you do not record.
- Make sure you do not hold the device as if it were a weapon:
Any form of aggression can backfire on you in dealings with the officer. You do not want them to think that the recording device is a weapon, the outcome can be very dangerous. Avoid any confrontation while keeping your recording device at an acceptable position. Being upset may bother the officer and cause you to be approached, detained, harmed, or even killed. The office may assume that your recording device is a weapon you could be in a bigger hole than you already are.
- Be prepared for possible detaining:
Even though it may or may not be illegal, to regain control they may place you in handcuffs and detain you because they feel threatened.
It’s important to get in contact with an attorney to fight for your rights if you or someone you know was arrested for recording an encounter with the police. For some people, it might be a scary sight to be approached by an officer. Laws are different from state to state so be sure to get in contact with a skilled criminal defense attorney in Decatur, GA before matters get worse.
Thanks to The Lynch Law Group for their insight into criminal law and recording law enforcement.