When can you film a Seattle police officer in public?

A Seattle City Council committee is trying to figure out when someone’s right to record police in public becomes obstruction of an officer.

The measure is being crafted. But the complex nature of arrests and confrontations make it hard to draw a line. Especially when every citizen has the right to film a Seattle police officer in public. But if the act of filming interferes with the police work, it could qualify as obstruction.

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It’s an issue becoming ever more present as smartphones continue to capture police work on video. Those videos have shed light on police abuse in areas across the nation.

On Wednesday, a council committee considered how to create a policy to fairly reflect this balance. Brian Maxey with the Seattle Police Department says the force completely agrees with the philosophy behind the city council’s consideration – transparency and police accountability.

The current aim is to clearly define a citizen’s right to record a Seattle police officer. Maxey told the council that officers already act as if they’re being recorded every minute.

Council member Lisa Herbold said the measure being crafted in Seattle isn’t designed to harass police, rather, to empower the public.

“The intent is more to signal to the community how important their partnership is and accountability,” Herbold said.

A final version of the measure has yet to be forwarded to the full council for consideration.

Dyer Oxley contributed to this report.

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