NYPD's enforcement of non-existent subway photo-ban costing taxpayers a fortune in lawsuits

Tyler sez, "A story about police in NYC citing non-existent rules to arrest subway photographers. Not only are they harassing innocent photographers, but they're costing taxpayers thousands from the inevitable lawsuit settlements that follow."

…People taking pictures in the subways are regularly stopped by the police and asked to let the officers see their images or to delete them.

"They don't have to do that, and it's completely unlawful to ask them to delete them," said Chris Dunn, a lawyer with the New York Civil Liberties Union. "But it comes with the explicit or implicit threat of arrest. It's a constant problem."

Mr. Taylor — a college student and an employee of a transportation agency that he did not want to identify — said he had been stopped before when taking pictures, but without problems.

Not this time.

"I said, 'According to the rules of conduct, we are allowed to take pictures,' " Mr. Taylor said. "I showed him the rules — they're bookmarked on my BlackBerry…"

"He tells me that their rules and the transit rules are different," Mr. Taylor said. "I tell him, 'If you feel I'm wrong, give me a summons and I'll see everyone in court.' The sergeant told them to arrest me."

In handcuffs, Mr. Taylor was delivered to the Transit District 12 police station, and a warrant check was run. "They were citing 9/11," said Mr. Taylor, whose encounter was described on a blog by the photographer Carlos Miller. "Of course, 9/11 is serious. I said: 'Let's be real. We're in the Bronx on the 2 train. Let's be for real here. Come on.' "

No Photo Ban in Subways, Yet an Arrest

(Thanks, Tyler!)