Videotaping prohibited at Edison Mall

[Fort Myers Police Dept]

A warning to all of you amateur videotapers who either make films/movies for fun, personal, or promotional purposes, video taping is prohibited inside the Edison Mall in Fort Myers. That includes the stores/shops, the interior hallways/corridors, the fountain, and the food court. Violators are subject to confiscation of camera equipment and ejection from the mall and mall premises.

[amanda]

Fort Myers Police Dept wrote:

A warning to all of you amateur videotapers who either make films/movies for fun, personal, or promotional purposes, video taping is prohibited inside the Edison Mall in Fort Myers. That includes the stores/shops, the interior hallways/corridors, the fountain, and the food court. Violators are subject to confiscation of camera equipment and ejection from the mall and mall premises.

Just one question....WHY.???

Are you worried about some terrorist threat against the mall?

[Fort Myers Police Dept]

amanda wrote:

<quoted text>
Just one question....WHY.???
Are you worried about some terrorist threat against the mall?

Exactly correct you are, amanda. Also of top concern are robberies and burglaries.

[Fort Myers Police Dept]

Also of note; regular/still photography is also prohibited inside Edison Mall.

[whats with this]

Fort Myers Police Dept wrote:

<quoted text>
Exactly correct you are, amanda. Also of top concern are robberies and burglaries.

I'm at a loss here. Maybe you can explain something for me.
How does videotaping at the mall encourage 'robberies and burglaries'?
Wouldn't just the opposite be true?
If I knew that videotaping may happen, I sure wouldn't commit any crime.
(Not that I would anyway.)

Look how many people are 'Caught' because of videotaping.

[MSO4]

Fort Myers Police Dept wrote:

A warning to all of you amateur videotapers who either make films/movies for fun, personal, or promotional purposes, video taping is prohibited inside the Edison Mall in Fort Myers. That includes the stores/shops, the interior hallways/corridors, the fountain, and the food court. Violators are subject to confiscation of camera equipment and ejection from the mall and mall premises.

Slick, you will take nothing from me without a court order. Besides your threats ring hollow. Video taping at the mall at most would be a Civil injunction with the mall. This is certainly not a "crime". Damn cops, nothing but criminals with badges.

[Police]

whats with this wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm at a loss here. Maybe you can explain something for me.
How does videotaping at the mall encourage 'robberies and burglaries'?
Wouldn't just the opposite be true?
If I knew that videotaping may happen, I sure wouldn't commit any crime.
(Not that I would anyway.)
Look how many people are 'Caught' because of videotaping.

It has been brought up as a concern that videotaping reveals potential weak spots in human and mechanical security that burglars and robbers are likely to exploit. There is also the fact that the mall is generally not a high tourist destination and also there are privacy reasons as well that videotaping and photography is prohibited at Edison Mall.

[Police]

Also, in addition to being ejected, violators will usually receive what is called a trespass warning, which can occasionally can be issued by the police, but is more commonly issued by the owner or owners of the property in front of a police officer or group of police officers. That means that the person is told not to return to the area either for a fixed or indefinite time duration. Violation of the warning results in arrest for trespassing.

[News man]

MSO4 wrote:

<quoted text>Damn cops, nothing but criminals with badges.

If you think Fort Myers cops are not so nice, you haven't yet experienced the cops of Cicero, Illinois! They absolutely refuse to dust for fingerprints at even the worst crime scenes unless they have a suspect in their custody, they refuse to even look for suspects, they point fingers at innocent victims at the crime scene, and they do nothing but sit on their lazy lead butts while Cicero, Illinois becomes exactly like the Fort Staunton neighborhood of Liberty City (GTA3)

[YouTube Watcher]

whats with this wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm at a loss here. Maybe you can explain something for me.
How does videotaping at the mall encourage 'robberies and burglaries'?
Wouldn't just the opposite be true?
If I knew that videotaping may happen, I sure wouldn't commit any crime.
(Not that I would anyway.)
Look how many people are 'Caught' because of videotaping.

I agree with you. Especially since I just watched a really cool and neat nearly 8 and a half minute youtube.com video of Miami's Dolphin Mall.

[Security]

YouTube Watcher wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree with you. Especially since I just watched a really cool and neat nearly 8 and a half minute youtube.com video of Miami's Dolphin Mall.

Actually, videotaping is prohibited there, too.

[Security]

You might not know this, in fact, probably almost nobody realizes this, but shopping malls are not public property at all; they are actually private property!

[challenger99]

Security wrote:

You might not know this, in fact, probably almost nobody realizes this, but shopping malls are not public property at all; they are actually private property!

True statement. However, the law reads "if private property is open to the public, such as retail stores, stadium or tourist areas filming is allowed unless there are signs posted that expressly forbid videotaping or photography".
Additionally, since it is private property, local governments cannot enact a law contrary to the rights possessed by the property owner.

[challenger99]

Fort Myers Police Dept wrote:

A warning to all of you amateur videotapers who either make films/movies for fun, personal, or promotional purposes, video taping is prohibited inside the Edison Mall in Fort Myers. That includes the stores/shops, the interior hallways/corridors, the fountain, and the food court. Violators are subject to confiscation of camera equipment and ejection from the mall and mall premises.

Individuals can be ask to leave the private property BUT confiscation of camera equipment is AGAINST the law unless you have a court order! Holding an individual to try and take the equipment is coersion and in fact could be considered kidnapping.
By the way, your Post could in fact be considered coersion so it would be appropriate if you Post your name and badge number so a formal complaint can be filed against you. If you are a simple security guard it could result in a civil suit .

[FMPD]

challenger99 wrote:

<quoted text>Individuals can be ask to leave the private property BUT confiscation of camera equipment is AGAINST the law unless you have a court order! Holding an individual to try and take the equipment is coersion and in fact could be considered kidnapping.

Actually, we no longer need a court order at all to confiscate camera equipment from anyone caught filming and/or photographing the mall. The Patriot act, signed into Federal law by former president Bush, allows for immediate confiscation of any item deemed inappropriate or suspicious by all authorities including security personnell without a warrant and without a court order. Anyone who still thinks a court order is required had better really read and study the Patriot act long and hard!

[FMPD]

FMPD wrote:

<quoted text>
Actually, we no longer need a court order at all to confiscate camera equipment from anyone caught filming and/or photographing the mall. The Patriot act, signed into Federal law by former president Bush, allows for immediate confiscation of any item deemed inappropriate or suspicious by all authorities including security personnell without a warrant and without a court order. Anyone who still thinks a court order is required had better really read and study the Patriot act long and hard!

In addition, since the Patriot act is federal, moving elsewhere will not get you out of police departments that can confiscate suspicious items without a court order. The Patriot act allows confiscation without a court order for all local and state police departments and county sheriff's departments throughout the entire United States of America, as well as even the FBI.

[Mythbuster]

A phone call to the City of Fort Myers Police Department reveals that these posts are purely fraud and without substance. No such ordinance exists nor do city police officers confiscate cameras. Moreover, whether or not filming is permitted is matter decided by the Mall management istelf or the individual store who leases space there.

[GBZ]

Welcome to USSR.

[Security]

Mythbuster wrote:

No such ordinance exists nor do city police officers confiscate cameras.

With Mall Security and management, there is an ordinance that prohibits filming of the mall. Face it, everyone. You can not film or photograph the mall for any reasons!!!

[What_s with this]

So where is it posted "No photography or videotaping allowed" at the mall??
It should be at Every entrance to warn people.
Especially since alot the snowbirds go to the mall. And surely they don't all know about this.