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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Volunteers find treasures in the rubble at Butte Creek Mill ... Medford police arrest fugitive in manslaughter case ... Mt. Ashland copes with large crowds; Ski Hopper bus starts Friday ... Volunteers find treasures in the rubble at Butte Creek Mill ... Medford police arrest fugitive in manslaughter case ... Mt. Ashland copes with large crowds; Ski Hopper bus starts Friday ... OUR VIEW Our View: Public's right to film police should be protected Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News After repeated incidents of police officers beating and shooting people, many departments are equipping police with body cameras to record their interactions with suspects and others. Whether those recordings should be released to the public, and if so when, is rightfully the subject of some debate. But what about when the public is doing the recording? The Oregon House Judiciary Committee on Monday approved a bill declaring that people have the right to film police as long as they don't interfere. That should go without saying, and the bill should be enacted, but not without an exception or two. Some recent high-profile cases of police officers shooting unarmed subjects have pointed to the need for better evidence of what took place. In the Ferguson, Mo., case in which an officer shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown, no videotape exists, which hampered investigators trying to determine exactly what had happened. In a more recent case in North Charleston, S.C., a citizen's video clearly showed officer Michael Slager shooting an unarmed Walter Scott in the back as he ran away. That video prompted the town's police chief to fire Slager immediately and arrest him for murder. Just having a videotape of an incident doesn't guarantee it will show everything that occurred. The dash camera on Slager's car, for instance, showed the officer taking Scott's identification and Scott running away, but the shooting occurred out of camera range. Still, the more evidence the better when things go wrong. Most of the time, of course, police go about their business without shooting anyone, and videos of that activity would be unremarkable. In some jurisdictions, police have seized citizens' cameras or smartphones to stop them from recording police activity. In some states, filming police can result in citations for interfering with law enforcement. The bill sent to the Oregon House floor on Monday makes it clear that taking videos of police is not a crime and police cannot prevent or stop citizens from doing it. That's a positive step, but some conditions should apply. The state Association of Chiefs of Police does not object to the bill, but wants to make sure people can't record a private conversation between two officers. The bill's supporters also say language will be added in the Senate to prohibit long-range microphones that could be used to listen in on tactical plans. As long as those exceptions are included, the bill should pose no threat to police and should be enacted. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501