| From: | Carl Drega |
| To: | Philip Bradstock Film Office philip.bradstock@phoenix.gov  |
| Date: | Saturday, October 20, 2012 10:58 AM |
| Subject: | Laws on shooting photos in Papago Park |
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Philip Bradstock Director Phoenix Film Office As I told you this week on Wednesday we were in Papago Park shooting some private, non commercial, still, static photos and we were stopped by a park ranger who ordered us to stop taking the photos and told us not to shoot any more until we got a permit from the city of Phoenix which will allow us to shot static, still photos in the park. As I said before the park ranger didn't ask us any questions on what we were doing, and he simply ordered us to stop taking the photos and not to continue until we got a permit which I think he said cost $100. I checked out the Phoenix web site that covers that issue and according to the rules on the web site the park ranger was wrong on ordering us to stop shooting our photos. I suspect the park ranger violated our 1st and 14th Amendment U.S. Constitutional rights, U.S.C. 42-1983 and the Equal Protection clause of the Arizona Constitution when he ordered us to stop shooting our photos. He may have also falsely arrested us. The city of Phoenix web site only seems to require people who are talking commercial photographs to get the permit. I some of the Phoenix web sites I checked out were http://filmphoenix.comSo I could figure out exactly what the laws are on this issue and determine if we needed a film permit I contacted you last Wednesday by phone and asked you for the city of Phoenix code that covers this issue. As I told you on the phone I wanted the laws that first covered the issue and the laws that defined what "commercial photography" where. You told me that city of Phoenix code G-1403 gives your office the power to regulate people who shoot photos in the city Phoenix. When I read thru G-1403 I discovered that it doesn't say a word about shooting static, photos. It only covers motion pictures and videos. Also there are a number of exemptions in G-1403 and per all of them even if we were shooting motion pictures or videos in Papago Park per G-1404 we would not need to get the permit. So after reading thru G-1403 is seems almost certain that the park ranger who ordered us to stop taking our photos was wrong and violating our constitutional rights. I then called you the next day on Thursday and told you that I didn't think that G-1403 covered us because it doesn't say anything about still photography. I asked you if you had another law that covered still photography. You then told me that I was wrong and that G-1403, while it doesn't say a word about still photography and only mentions motion pictures and videos that it says that you guys can make rules and regulations and that because of that you guys decided to include still photographs in the list of things that require a permit from the city of Phoenix. Anyhow I told you I would like to find out what city of Phoenix laws cover this so that I can read them and and figure out what we need to do so we can return to Papapo Park and finish shooting our photos. I said I would send you and email and that you would either find the laws that apply to us, or forward the email to someone in the city of Phoenix who can tell me what the laws are on shooting non-commercial photos, by private citizens in Papago Park. Any how this is my email telling you that I would like to be told the laws that cover shooting still photos in city of Phoenix parks for non commercial purposes. Can you either find out what the laws are and give me the answer, or forward this email to someone in the city of Phoenix who can answer my question. Thanks | |