Photographer accosted by the S.S. on the street in front of White House

[rambone]

A photographer was standing in a public place taking photographs, and a Secret Service agent charged at him, hand on his weapon, and demanded that he delete the photographs.

Obama Photographer Confronted By Secret Service After Taking Photos in Front of White House

 

[machete]

A photographer was standing in a public place taking photographs, and a Secret Service agent charged at him, hand on his weapon, and demanded that he delete the photographs.

Obama Photographer Confronted By Secret Service After Taking Photos in Front of White House

I remember before Bush got it how pennsylvania avenue was still a regular street that you could drive down... During bushes term, DC changed so much that it felt like driving around a military base or prison compound...

 

[sweddle]

I understand the need for security in DC, especially around the White House, but, their security details are complete @$$holes. Took the family to DC a few years ago and encountered four separate security officers that I exchanged words with. One at the White House, one at the Pentagon, one along the Mall and one in a museum. I am a fairly clean cut guy, with my wife and kids, not raising any eyebrows and I still got their negative attention somehow. I am a grown, family man, veteran, tax payer etc., I didn't tolerate their BS talking to me like I am some punk kid. Needless to say, I was mindful of my surroundings and minded my P's & Q's well enough not to get into hot water!

 

[Pocketman]

2-3 years ago I tried to enter the Capital Building in D.C., with my pocket knife that I've carried since a Boy Scout. Capital Police officer, wearing body armor and carrying an automatic weapon, held it for me while I toured the building. Afterwards, he tracked me down outside and returned it. They are not all a-holes.

 

[rambone]

I understand the need for security in DC,

It might be the nation's capitol, but they are still bound by the Constitution. They can't search you without probable cause, they can't enforce laws that do not exist, and your photographs are certainly protected by the 1st Amendment.

If incidents like this are the norm, that is very disheartening.

 

[antsi]

I understand the need for security in DC, especially around the White House, but, their security details are complete @$. Took the family to DC a few years ago and encountered four separate security officers that I exchanged words with. One at the White House, one at the Pentagon, one along the Mall and one in a museum. I am a fairly clean cut guy, with my wife and kids, not raising any eyebrows and I still got their negative attention somehow. I am a grown, family man, veteran, tax payer etc., I didn't tolerate their BS talking to me like I am some punk kid. Needless to say, I was mindful of my surroundings and minded my P's & Q's well enough not to get into hot water!

That's what you get for traveling outside of America.

 

[dross]

Reading the link, it sounds like an individual officer went too far.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Has anyone ever shown that a terrorist attack in the US was predicated by a photographer with a proper DSLR taking pictures of something?

It would seem to me that a terrorist, by his very nature, would want to remain as anonymous as possible and not draw attention to himself.

As such, why would a terrorist run around with one of these?

vs. say, one of these:

I've been harassed at malls, public roadways, etc. by rent-a-cops and real cops all because I have a professional grade camera.

I have yet to see a single person, myself included, bothered for taking a picture anywhere with a cell phone.

It makes no sense.

 

[printcraft]

Reading the link, it sounds like an individual officer went too far.

 

[rambone]

Reading the link, it sounds like an individual officer went too far.

Who's training these individuals? How far are they instructed to go? Are they not informed that people have a 1st amendment and are allowed to take pictures?

I feel there must be something systematic that teaches people to be like this. Is this common of people who work with the public? Wildly go after bystanders and tell them what to do with their gadgets? Boss around photographers while waiting for some real terrorists to appear? I don't get it.

 

[jedi]

rambone did you read the article? It appears that the "young and new" USSS officer is still green and though the photographer was taking a picture of him. The photographer complained to a USSS supervisor who upon seeing the picture agreed and made a comment about how the officer is still new.

Also it's United States Serect Service (USSS) not S.S. or SS. They us the USSS abbreviation to ensure no confusion with the latter which is normally used for Nazi Germany's SS (Schutzstaffel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

 

[kickbacked]

back when i was in middle school we went on a trip to d.c. . i actually talked to some security guy and he said he talked with the president a lot. I gave him my name and he told me he would make sure the president would know i said hi. I dont know if he did or not but hearing that sure made me happy as a young kid. I also reached my hand through the fence and grabbed some grass.

 

[rambone]

rambone did you read the article? It appears that the "young and new" USSS officer is still green and though the photographer was taking a picture of him. The photographer complained to a USSS supervisor who upon seeing the picture agreed and made a comment about how the officer is still new.

Yes I saw that... but I have to say, that excuse just doesn't seem plausible. You don't become a Secret Service Agent overnight, and without an extensive resume. They aren't exactly recruiting in high schools for the Secret Service. You have to have been places, and proven yourself.

Furthermore, taking pictures of the White House is not a new phenomenon. You would think they might have mentioned that at "White House Security Orientation Day." I can't believe of all the scenarios they must be taught, they don't mention what to do if someone is taking pictures. He didn't just invent this idea that he can waltz up to somebody and demand that they hand over their camera and delete pictures. Was it part of the training?

Am I being too hard on the Secret Service? Is it reasonable that they get some basic training about how to act in public, before they are given a gun and turned loose on society?

God forbid he ever encounters an open-carrier.

Also it's United States Serect Service (USSS) not S.S. or SS. They us the USSS abbreviation to ensure no confusion with the latter which is normally used for Nazi Germany's SS (Schutzstaffel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

Ha, whoopsie. The two can be confusing at times.

 

[printcraft]

.....
God forbid he ever encounters an open-carrier.

Unfortunately he is in D.C. where he will NEVER encounter a carrier of any type.

 

[rambone]

Unfortunately he is in D.C. where he will NEVER encounter a carrier of any type.

I thought of that, but the Secret Service travels all over the place with His Majesty. At some point it will happen. Having a nut like this one on the payroll is just a nightmare waiting to happen.

If anybody else ran up to a stranger, swiped their camera, and started making rude demands, while having his hand on his gun... that guy would be in deep s***.

 

[firehawk1]

Ha, whoopsie. The two can be confusing at times.

Whoopsie.... I have to agree, the USSS ACTED like the SS this time around.

 

[jedi]

Yes I saw that... but I have to say, that excuse just doesn't seem plausible. You don't become a Secret Service Agent overnight, and without an extensive resume. They aren't exactly recruiting in high schools for the Secret Service. You have to have been places, and proven yourself.


Ha, whoopsie. The two can be confusing at times.

I thought of that, but the Secret Service travels all over the place with His Majesty. At some point it will happen. Having a nut like this one on the payroll is just a nightmare waiting to happen.

If anybody else ran up to a stranger, swiped their camera, and started making rude demands, while having his hand on his gun... that guy would be in deep s***.

There are 2 divisions within USSS - Special Agents (ie. field agents) and the uniformed service (ie. "white house police"). It requirements to become an officer for the uniformed service are lower than that of a special agent.

A uniformed service officer will NEVER leave DC. Their entire mission to to guard the white house and the adjacent grounds & deal with any issues with those grounds. They do not guard anyone (ie. follow anyone around like the special agents that guard the president).

Special agents on the other hand are based out of varies field offices around the country. Their mission is.

1) Dealing with counterfeit $$
2) Protection detail (ie. president, pres family, VP, VP fam, foreign delegates, etc..)
3) Protection of president's personal home (ie. Chicago FO has this duty)

All special agents will do both 1 and 2 sometime during their career. And in order to be on the pres detail they have to be proficient in various "additional firearms" in addition to the std. that all s/a carry.

In terms of "proving yourself" most uniformed officers come from an "LEO background". It's the special agents (ie. field ones) that typically have other type of education/experience (computers, IT, survellieance, etc..) not normally a complete LEO background.

 

[MilitaryArms]

There are 2 divisions within USSS - Special Agents (ie. field agents) and the uniformed service (ie. "white house police"). It requirements to become an officer for the uniformed service are lower than that of a special agent.

A uniformed service officer will NEVER leave DC. Their entire mission to to guard the white house and the adjacent grounds & deal with any issues with those grounds. They do not guard anyone (ie. follow anyone around like the special agents that guard the president).

Special agents on the other hand are based out of varies field offices around the country. Their mission is.

1) Dealing with counterfeit $$
2) Protection detail (ie. president, pres family, VP, VP fam, foreign delegates, etc..)
3) Protection of president's personal home (ie. Chicago FO has this duty)

All special agents will do both 1 and 2 sometime during their career. And in order to be on the pres detail they have to be proficient in various "additional firearms" in addition to the std. that all s/a carry.

In terms of "proving yourself" most uniformed officers come from an "LEO background". It's the special agents (ie. field ones) that typically have other type of education/experience (computers, IT, survellieance, etc..) not normally a complete LEO background.

No way, I thought they were all Delta Force Operators and Navy SEALs... Don't you watch movies?

Thanks for the dose of reality.

 

[Captain Bligh]

I have taken lots of photos around the White House during daylight hours and after dark. I have never been questioned at the White House, although I did get lit up on the Mall one night.

I had been taking after-dark pictures of buildings, fountains, & monuments, and had grown weary of taking the camera on and off the tripod. So, I left the camera on the tripod with its legs extended, put it over my shoulder, and started hiking to the next location. Around midnight, I was hiking up a secluded part of the Mall toward Lincoln Memorial when multiple headlights froze me like a deer. Obviously, in the darkness my long tripod legs over my shoulder may have been mistaken for a gun. Once they saw what I had, all I got was "Have a nice night, sir." That was after 9/11 and increased security around the White House and in D.C.

I can't help but wonder if there is another side to this story.

 

[rambone]

No way, I thought they were all Delta Force Operators and Navy SEALs... Don't you watch movies?

Thanks for the dose of reality.

I didn't think they have to be any of those things. I just thought they might have had one day of actual field experience. Even a mall cop should know you can't go rip somebody's property out of their hands and start barking orders at them. Maybe the guy in the story is the one who watched too many movies.

Or, maybe that's what he wast taught to do, and incompetency had nothing to do with it.



Also, thanks Jediagh for the info.