Boston Police Commissioner Calls for Bystander Camera Laws

From Medford, Massachusetts, to Roxbury Community College, to Baltimore, Maryland, cell phone video of police has been taken by bystanders to try to capture police interaction with the public.

"The only reason we do it as bystanders is to help the person that is getting arrested, to prove that the cop is doing their job or not," Kharina Frances of Roxbury said.

But in a sit down interview with the Boston Herald, Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said he would "love to see" legislation that would set a designated amount of space between someone taking cell phone video and police trying to do their jobs.

"His concern was an incident last week where an officer was struggling with somebody and there were people videotaping it and instead of putting the videotaping down and helping the officer they just kept videotaping it and his concern was around that," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said.

But the ACLU contends as long as someone isn't interfering with police they have the right to videotape them, and if they are interfering there are already laws saying police can arrest them.

"Its the first part of the constitution that citizens have a right to see what the government is doing," ACLU Massachusetts staff attorney Carl Williams said.

Boston Police released a statement saying in part, "We become concerned when the filming of police puts the public and officers at risk and would support legislation that would regulate this type of behavior."

Bostonians were spilt on whether new legislation is necessary.

"I understand if somebody's videotaping right in your face it can be aggravating," Etel Amato of South Boston said.

"This is my phone, it's my right to do whatever I want with it, if I'm not actually hitting you or assaulting you with it, it's just a device," Marcus Williams of Dorchester said.

Necn tried to speak with Commissioner Evans directly, but the police department said he is out of the office all day and unavailable for interviews.

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