The BCCLA managed to capture the front cover of the Province today after filing a complaint with the Vancouver Police Board asking them to clarify VPD policy on seizing cameras. The complaint was sparked when Province photographer Jason Payne alleged he was threatened with a criminal charge and assaulted after refusing to turn his camera over to police after taking pictures following a police shooting.

Police spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness echoed section 2.9.6 (i) (15) of the VPD Policy and Regulations Manual, stating “it’s not [VPD] policy to take video or cameras away from the media.” However, this is not an isolated incident:

• In December of 2007, a Channel M videographer alleged that he was detained for several hours and had his camera seized after he filmed police activity after a police shooting in Vancouver;
• In March of 2009, Adam Smolcic, a citizen of Vancouver, alleged that a Vancouver police officer took his cellphone and erased video he had taken of the police shooting of Michael Hubbard.

Most disturbingly, all three incidents of seizure involve police shootings. In the latter, Adam Smolcic alleges the VPD officer who seized his cellphone camera deleted the footage. In light of this incident, the BCCLA demanded that the Vancouver Police Board clarify the rights of private citizens, not just the news media, to photograph or film police activity.

Read the BCCLA complaint and the article in the Province.

Tags: BCCLA Police Complaints, Freedom of Expression, Privacy, VPD

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