Public no longer allowed to record at DeLand Police Department

DELAND, Fla. — The public is no longer allowed to record video or audio inside the DeLand Police Department lobby. City leaders passed the resolution in response to a rise in groups known as “First Amendment Auditors,” recording the public and the police.

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DeLand Police shared surveillance video with Eyewitness News that shows a man recording another who clearly does not want to be on camera. On his way to the window, the man points to the cell phone secured on tripod several times, before eventually pushing it over.

DeLand Community Information Manager Chris Graham said that type of confrontation is what the city is trying to avoid. He said the group has been active for weeks, recording in public places and inside government buildings.

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Now in an effort to protect people’s privacy, the city is no longer allowing anyone to record video or audio inside the station without permission from police.

“They should have some expectation of privacy that no one is going to be recording them and that they can remain anonymous if they so choose,” said Graham.

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Some of the First Amendment advocates, including the man in the lobby video, explained their position to Eyewitness News.

“We should have the right to record our interaction with public officials in public areas,” said Steven Sanders.

“There’s established court cases that allow this,” said James Madison Audits.

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“It is a public area. We are here peacefully, we always have been here peacefully,” said Twisted Luck Truth.

Attorney Aaron Delgado believes the resolution is a bad move. He argues when someone walks into a public building, they’ve already given up some anonymity.

“The police may try to say there’s an exception to public records and things like that for and ongoing investigation. That is fine. Take them back, do the investigation. But if you are in a public area that is open to the public, you have no expectation of privacy,” said Delgado.

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