Police Videos May Violate Rights

New York, NY —

The New York Civil Liberties Union has asked a judge to stop the NYPD from videotaping political demonstrations. WNYC's Kathryn Herzog reports.

The civil rights group said in court papers filed Monday that police have adopted new interrpretations of the Handshu guidelines. The decree stems from a 1971 lawsuit brought by the Black Panther Party, alleging police engaged in widespread surveillance of legitimate political activity, and distributed the information elsewhere.

The NYCLU claims the police Department's new take on the guidelines uses what was meant as an exception to fight terrorism, allowing it to "wipe out the rules" - to videotape peaceful political gatherings and retain those videotapes indefinitely.

Many protesters during the 2004 Republican National Convention noticed the surveillence. The city's law office has received the legal papers but had no comment.