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Read the press release here.

'Right to Record' Bill Would Protect People Filming Police Officers

 New legislation introduced to the City Council would make it illegal for officers to interfere with people recording their actions.
New legislation introduced to the City Council would make it illegal for officers to interfere with people recording their actions.
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DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg

MIDTOWN — If you see something, record something.

Several City Council members introduced legislation that would prohibit police officers from interfering with people recording their actions, officials and advocates announced Monday. The Right to Record Act would also make it easier for people to file a lawsuit if they feel they were illegally barred from filming an NYPD activity.

It would still be illegal for people to record police if it obstructs their work in any way.  

"This is an interesting time in the country. This bill is not anti-police, this bill is about wanting police to be better at their jobs. I appreciate the risks they take every day on the job," Councilman Jumaane Williams, who introduced the bill with Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal, said in a statement.

"The Right to Record Act is a response to several instances where people, who were recording police activity — which is their constitutional right — were either arrested on trumped-up charges, detained, or had their property damaged for exercising their constitutional right."

The bill would help New Yorkers who felt their rights were violated to file a lawsuit by giving them a specific law to point to in their legal filing, Williams spokeswoman Vania Andre explained to DNAinfo New York.

Rosenthal said in a statement that the law would allow officials and the public to “better understand the nuances of each situation.”

The bill comes after several recent police-involved shootings that led to massive protests throughout the country

The Council members introduced the bill on July 14 in the Committee on Public Safety.

Co-sponsors include Councilman Rafael Espinal and Councilwoman Inez Barron.

The NYPD did not return an immediate request for comment.