Can cops delete your cell phone pictures? They say they can

AMonger · Jan 31, 2012

MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) -If you are on a public street and take pictures or video of Memphis Police with your cell phone, you could end up in the back of a squad car and your pictures could be deleted. ABC 24 News photographer Casey Monroe said that's what happened to him Sunday morning. Police never charged Monroe with a crime, but this could happen to anyone with a cell phone camera. Monroe said police went too far outside Thai Bistro Restaurant in downtown Memphis that morning, and that they violated his rights. As police were giving the restaurant's owner, Loy Bouaphaypengerprachan, a ticket for parking illegally, Monroe went to see what was going on and started taking pictures of the parking ticket fiasco. The owner told abc24.com, "I think he was doing what a regular citizen would do if they see a situation that's happening they're trying to evidence." Monroe said he was "just trying to document the situation going on." Although he was on public property, Monroe said he was told by police, "'you can't be taking pictures of us.'" Monroe was put in the back of the squad car. When he was released, he said he realized one of the officers had deleted all the video and photos he took. According to attorney Ross Samson, "There's no law out there that said officers can grab your phone and delete what they want at will," adding your phone is your personal property. Cameras weren't allowed inside when Monroe went to Internal Affairs, but the photographer said, "I feel they had no right to delete my pictures and video on my personal property and company property."

BigCat · Feb 1, 2012

Mpd is a joke. I just moved from there for that reason. Latest pic floating around is an mod car that drove off a downtown loading ramp. Kinda funny actually.

BigCat · Feb 1, 2012

Mpd at it's best

paullud · Feb 1, 2012

Probably the reason they don't want pictures taken.

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BigCat · Feb 1, 2012

Yep I was stopped on i40 going west for a headlight out by a officer who also had a tail light out. I snapped a pic as he was driving off and mailed it along with a photo copy of the ticket to mayor ac Wharton with a letter and basically his reply was screw you as you were in the wrong.

Kind of left a bad taste in my mouth about the city of Memphis.

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greg334 · Feb 2, 2012

BigCat said:
Kind of left a bad taste in my mouth about the city of Memphis.

I can't stand the city. I had to deal with a few of its finest citizens trying to break into my truck at pilot while I was in it under the bright light near the building and called the cops, who told me to use the CB to ask for help from one of the other truckers. I have the recording of the conversation which was presented to someone in the mayor's office and he siad " ... well did you?"

I have refused a lot of work, good paying $4 a mile work to that city because of that incident and to me as bad as Detroit is, I feel safe knowing that the cops will respond to a call - may take them a long time but they do respond.

BigCat · Feb 2, 2012

greg334 said:
I can't stand the city. I had to deal with a few of its finest citizens trying to break into my truck at pilot while I was in it under the bright light near the building and called the cops, who told me to use the CB to ask for help from one of the other truckers. I have the recording of the conversation which was presented to someone in the mayor's office and he siad " ... well did you?"

I have refused a lot of work, good paying $4 a mile work to that city because of that incident and to me as bad as Detroit is, I feel safe knowing that the cops will respond to a call - may take them a long time but they do respond.

Yes exactly. The mayor could care less.