Tucson Mayor To Add Clarity To Recent Ordinance On Community-Police Interactions

"It is now ILLEGAL to take a video of uniformed police in Tucson, Arizona," Douglas wrote. "You can now be arrested for taking a video or charged up to $750. We are slowly losing our basic rights."

It is now ILLEGAL to take a video of uniformed police in Tucson Arizona.

You can now be arrested for taking a video or charged up to $750.

We are slowly losing our basic rights.

— Douglas ???? (@dougsthename_sg) June 6, 2020

The ordinance actually states civilians do have the right to record but can't disrupt crime scenes. 

"The public has a clear right to free speech and to record police activities that take place in public," the law reads. 

It also declares: "the acts of recording police activity or engaging in constitutionally protected speech alone shall not be considered prohibited conduct under this section."

What people are restricted from is "knowingly engaging in conduct that materially inhibits, obstructs and hinders or delays" police activities.

Lawmakers in Tucson also said they are protecting officers by implementing these restrictions. 

The restrictions are imposed on areas where "enforcement activity, investigations, and other police-related activities are taking place." 

Lawmakers detailed the restrictions under the new policy. According to the statute, officers can also stop civilians from entering crime scenes. 

The policy allows officers to visually indicate areas that the public cannot access using items like caution tape. 

But the language of the ordinance has left some concerned the law could be open to wide-ranging interpretation by law enforcement.

Doesn’t matter. The wording on the actual ordinance itself (Yes I’ve read it) could be interpreted by cops as if they don’t want or appreciate someone filming them, then they have the right to get them to stop filming in this City. This was passed in April.

— Douglas ???? (@dougsthename_sg) June 7, 2020

sorry, any authority given to police to make it harder to hold police accountable for their actions is not okay in my book. As an officer they sacrifice ALL privacy while on the job.

— Douglas ???? (@dougsthename_sg) June 6, 2020

Following the backlash, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero stated her intention to add more clarity to the ordinance. 

"The fear that our Black brothers and sisters feel during their interactions with law enforcement is very real," Romero said in statement according to Newsweek. "The ability to record members of our police department is a critical mechanism for public accountability, and in many instances, the only way injustices and abuses have been exposed across the country."

She said the law was aimed at a specific group of civilians.

“Mayor & Council adopted this ordinance in response to a small subset of individuals who appear at crime scenes with the sole intention of obstructing police activities and investigations," she continued. "The ordinance was put together based on similar laws in other cities throughout the country.”

Correction: an earlier version of this article incorrectly suggested civilians in any circumstance would be charged for recording police interactions.