Controversial law would create buffer for filming cops
BOSTON (WWLP) – State lawmakers proposed a new law that would create a 25-foot buffer zone when filming first responders.
Citizens taking videos of first responders at work will be given a verbal warning and will be required to step back 25 feet or face a fine of up to $1000 dollars–or even jail time.
Last year, Florida enacted a similar law, and the Bay State law would mirror it. Lawmakers who are sponsoring this bill say they see it as an additional tool to keep first responders safe.
'Just like a speed limit is to deter speeding, red lights keep people from violating intersections, that's all the Halo Act is, it's an additional deterrent to protect first responders,' Senator Richard Wells Jr., one of the sponsors, told NBC10 Boston.
The other sponsor, a Barnstable senator and former police officer, says he often sees videos of citizens yelling at and insulting first responders, and he hopes this bill will discourage that type of interaction as well.
While the act's supporters say it is purely a measure to keep first responders safe, opponents worry that it could infringe on First Amendment rights.
Many believe that the recent uptick in filming first responders, especially police officers, has led to more accountability in these professions and has allowed the judicial system to crack down on misconduct.
The bill is being put forth by a Republican in the House and a Democrat in the Senate, indicating support from both sides of the aisle.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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