PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona's governor has signed a law that restricts how the public can video police at a time when there's growing pressure around the country for greater law enforcement transparency.
Gov. Doug Ducey approved a measure that makes it illegal to knowingly film police officers 8 feet or closer without an officer's permission.
Police can also order those filming on private property with the owner’s consent to stop recording if an officer finds they are interfering or the area is not safe.
Those arrested would be charged with a misdemeanor that would likely incur a fine without jail time.
Civil rights and media groups say the law is unconstitutional and simply cannot be applied in real-world scenarios.
The bill's advocates say the law allows for filming while keeping everyone safe.
The move comes nearly a year after the U.S. Department of Justice launched a probe into the Phoenix police force.
Similar investigations are ongoing in Minneapolis and Louisville.
There are exceptions to the law.
People who are the direct subject of police interaction can video police as long as they are not being arrested or searched.
Encounters can also be filmed by someone who is in a car that was stopped by police or is being questioned.
