Capital area police have confirmed that, despite the word of one officer, it is actually legal to photograph or video record the police in a public setting.
In a Facebook status from capital area police, they clarify the legal position of the activity, stating:
“Yesterday we were notified of a video that was recorded of a police officer responding to a bus that was stuck in a narrow street. In the video, one can see an exchange between the officer and the person recording the video. The capital area police apologise for this event. Nothing in the law forbids the general public from recording police work in a public setting. The party in question has been spoken to about this and an apology was issued, so the matter is considered closed.”
As reported, blues musician Halldór Bragason has been less than happy with the number of tour buses that attempt to squeeze through narrow residential streets, despite a city directive forbidding the practice, and has recorded the buses in action. In one such incident, a police officer being recorded told Halldór that it is illegal to record and post videos of the police.
In related news, RÚV reports that Ingi Rúnar Sigurjónsson, the managing director of the bus company featured in two of Halldór’s videos, told reporters that the driver of the bus was “inexperienced” and unaware of the city guidelines regarding where tour buses may and may not drive. Ingi emphasised that the driver has since been spoken to, and such incidents will “hopefully not happen again”.
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