Recording can create complications if you interfere with police activities or violate other laws while filming. Physical obstruction charges apply when your recording prevents officers from performing duties. For example, blocking officers’ movements, refusing to comply with dispersal orders, or recording from unsafe positions may justify intervention. Trespassing laws apply to recording on private property without permission, and officers can require you to leave private property even if you are filming police.
Recording in certain sensitive situations faces greater scrutiny. Filming accident victims, crime victims, or other private individuals may implicate privacy rights even in public spaces. Pennsylvania’s wiretapping statute prohibits recording private conversations without consent, though this rarely applies to police performing public duties. Recording inside your vehicle during a traffic stop falls into a gray area. You can record, but officers may have legitimate safety concerns requiring you to keep hands visible and follow instructions.
How Recordings Protect Your Rights
Video evidence documenting police encounters provides objective accounts of what occurred. Recordings can contradict false police reports, reveal constitutional violations, and support defense strategies in criminal cases. When officers make claims about your behavior, recordings offer proof showing the actual events. This evidence proves particularly valuable in cases involving alleged resistance, assault on officers, or failure to comply with commands.
Recordings also deter police misconduct. Officers aware they are being filmed often demonstrate greater professionalism and restraint. When violations occur, recordings provide evidence supporting civil rights lawsuits under Section 1983 and state law claims. Many successful cases against police departments for excessive force, false arrest, and other violations rely on video evidence captured by citizens. Your recording might also help other defendants facing charges based on the same officer’s testimony.
Storing and Protecting Your Recordings
Upload recordings to cloud storage immediately when safe to do so. This backup protects evidence if officers seize your device or if the device becomes damaged. Many apps automatically upload video to secure servers during recording, ensuring preservation even if someone destroys your phone. Avoid posting recordings on social media before consulting an attorney, as public disclosure may complicate legal strategies or create admissibility issues.
If arrested, inform your attorney about the recording immediately. Videos can provide crucial evidence in suppression hearings and trial proceedings. Maintain copies of recordings and document the chain of custody. If prosecutors request the footage, consult your attorney before providing it. The recording may help your defense, but strategic considerations affect when and how to disclose evidence to the prosecution.
Contact Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford Today
Recording police interactions protects your constitutional rights and creates objective evidence of encounters with law enforcement. Understanding your rights while avoiding interference with police duties helps you safely document interactions. Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford has been recognized as a “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News & World Report every year since 2010, and our attorneys bring decades of combined experience to criminal defense cases involving police encounters.
We represent clients facing charges related to recording police officers and use video evidence to defend against false accusations. Our firm understands how to leverage recordings in criminal cases and civil rights litigation. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation and learn how we can protect your rights and use recorded evidence to support your defense.
Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford P.C.
Pennsylvania Attorney's
November 13, 2025
