Street Vendors Protest Treatment by Police
By COLIN MOYNIHAN
The lawyers and advocates who run a group called the Street Vendor Project often encourage food cart operators to use their smartphones to record interactions with the police.
The idea, said Sean Basinski, a lawyer who works with the operators, is to create a video record that can be reviewed and used in court when vendors are contesting tickets.
On Sept. 19, Mr. Basinski experienced perhaps both the perils and the benefits of such documentation. That afternoon he was arrested in front of the Midtown North Precinct police station on West 54th Street while using his phone to record the police. He was charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental administration, according to a criminal complaint. After his release, an onlooker gave him what Mr. Basinski said was an exculpatory video of his encounter with officers.
Courts have established a right to record police activity in public places, as long as it does not interfere with the officers’ ability to carry out their duties.
Read more at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/nyregion/street-vendors-protest-treatment-by-police.html?partner=socialflow&smid=tw-nytmetro&_r=0
