THERE is no law nor policy to stop anyone from video taping police officers on active duty, Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds said, but in doing so people must not obstruct officers or they could face penalties under two laws.
He was in the House of Representatives on Friday, giving a reply to an oral question by Naparima MP Rodney Charles.
Hinds said, "The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service does not have a specific policy regarding members of the public taking photographs or video recordings of police officers while in the execution of their duty.
"While there is neither a law nor a policy which prevents citizens from taking photographs or video recordings of police officers, in those circumstances citizens are advised that recordings should be done at a safe distance between the parties involved, so as not to obstruct officers in the execution of their work.
He said obstruction of a police officer from his duties was a criminal offence under the Police Service Act, which he quoted.
"A person who assaults, obstructs or resists a police officer in the execution of his duty or aids or incites another person to so assault, obstruct or resist a police officer or a person assisting a police officer in the execution of his duty is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment of two years."
Hinds also said that certain intrusive conduct by individuals relative to the police can amount to harassment which is a chargeable offence under the Offences Against the People Act which he read.
"Harassment of a person includes alarming the person or causing the person distress by engagement in a course of conduct such as following, making video recordings of, following or accosting the person (or) acting in any other way that could be reasonably expected to alarm or cause the person distress."
He said harassment was constituted by an act being done on at least two occasions and would incur a penalty of a $2,000 fine and six months imprisonment.
Hinds advised, "In light of the aforesaid, citizens should be mindful that while photographing or videoing an officer on duty is not per se unlawful or illegal, members of the public would be well advised to note the relevant provisions of the Police Service Act and the Offences Against the Person Act, both of which I quoted, and both of which provide that continuously doing so in a manner described above can amount to harassment and lead to arrests and charges, accordingly."
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