Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed the controversial bill limiting police taping into law Thursday. Under the law, which takes effect in September, Arizona viewers could face misdemeanor charges if they film “law enforcement activity” within eight feet after being verbally warned by police not to. The law states that a person who is the subject of a police encounter may be recorded “if the person does not interfere with lawful police action, including a search, handcuffing, or field sobriety test.” Occupants of a vehicle stopped by authorities can also record the police encounter as long as they “do not interfere with lawful police action,” the law says. Activist groups told Insider that this new law — which was championed by Republican state Rep. John Cavanagh, a former New York police officer — violates the public’s First Amendment rights. “Governor Ducey has made it a crime for someone to film law enforcement if an officer is less than eight feet away from them — chilling the public’s use of the most effective tool against police abuse in violation of our First Amendment rights,” said the American Civil Liberties Union. Arizona staff attorney KM Bell told Insider on Friday. Bell added, “By limiting our ability to record police interactions, this law will undoubtedly make it even more difficult to hold police officers accountable for misconduct.” The National Press Photographers Association told Insider that it is “extremely concerned that the new law violates not only the free speech and press clauses of the First Amendment, but also runs afoul of the ‘clearly established right’ to photograph and record police officers executing their official duties. duties in a public place cited by all odd-numbered U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, including the Ninth Circuit.” “While these rights are not absolute, we believe that requiring a “law enforcement officer’s license,” and establishing a minimum and arbitrary distance of eight feet between a law enforcement officer and the person being searched, will not survive constitutional challenge and is completely inapplicable in situations” such as protests and demonstrations, the association said. The NPPA sent a letter to Ducey last week asking him to veto the bill. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin Meanwhile, Arizona State Police Association executive director Joe Clure told Insider the organization “obviously” supports the law because shooting officers at close range can create a “distraction” for officers and a “danger to everyone.” . “This is not about recording at all — please record, but do it from a distance that doesn’t interfere with the officer’s duty,” Clure said. “There’s no reason to bring in a police officer and get in the way of his ability to do his job,” he said, noting, “Modern cameras and cell phones today are amazing technology. These things can record from great distances .” Representatives for Ducey did not immediately return a request for comment from Insider on Friday.
