TSA OPT OUT & FILM: DEPUTY SHERIFF PROTECTS 1ST AMENDMENT AT ALBANY AIRPORT

Excellent video - public relations airport guy was a real piece of work though.

 

The airport PR guy, Doug Meyers, in the green shirt was born in the wrong millennium. He thinks he has the power of thumbs down.

what a pr*k

 

Anyone have an email for Doug Meyers?

 

The Deputy Sheriff Stan Lenic is fabulous. If all LEOs had his education, moral character and cool composure, the U.S. would be a much safer, happier, more productive nation.

Deputy Sheriff Stan Lenic should have his name in lights, and be held up as the hero and outstanding example he is.

To Heck with Obermeister Doug Meyers. Rather than waste attention on the TSA's sleazy front man, we should sing the praises of the morally upright Deputy Sheriff Stan Lenic.

We have entered a time when the United States desperately needs officials of good moral character taking a prominant role in public life.

Thank God for the Stan Lenics of America. With people like Deputy Sheriff Lenic serving the public interest, the freedom movement can keep hope alive. We may yet be able to set this nation back on course.

 

I too was impressed with Deputy Lenic, he was a voice of reason, was well versed in what he could and could not do, and was very cordial and matter of fact, even with Myers, when there was obviously some conflict with Myers. He handled the situation exactly as it should have been handled.

Doug Myers is the Director of Public Affairs for Albany according to their website.

Edit to add link to the website:
http://www.albanyairport.com/board_staff.php

 

Myers' contact information (only about a year old) is contained right at the top of this press release: http://www.capitalregionvoice.com/uploads/sites/125/Airport.pdf

I admit to close friends that I grew up in the Capital District and that ALB is my home airport. Until about a year ago, it still had not been contaminated with MMW pornoscopes. These days, we live close enough to drive.

I vaguely recall a Doug Myers who was a news reporter on one of the local TV stations when I was either in college or just out. There isn't much else going on in Albany County (as differentiated from the city of Albany), so, the Sheriff has no choice but to assign some of his best people to the airport.

 

Holy crap. There's actually cops in New York State who know their job and won't overstep themselves. He's truly a god among LEOs.

 

I just watched it. What an awesome video.

And that Doug Myers is a pathetic excuse for a public employee, the way he skulks away like a bully who's just been exposed for the weakling he truly is.

Two thumbs up to Deputy Lenic.

 

Deputy Sheriff Stan Lenic is a prime example of what other LEO's should strive to be! Outstanding!!

 

Albany Time-Union: Facetime with the TSA

Last week, two activists handed out fliers at the Albany International Airport. They were hoping to educate travelers about their rights to opt out of the full-body scanner used at the security checkpoint and be patted down by the TSA instead.​

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A verbal confrontation erupted between Doug Myers, the airport director of public affairs, and the activists. An Albany county sheriff's deputy was also involved. In the end, the flier-distributing duo was allowed to continue protesting the controversial TSA practice. The (edited) video of the encounter has gone viral on YouTube with nearly 80,000 views.​

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This had us wondering about readers' experiences with the TSA -- positive and otherwise -- at airports around the country ...​

 

Albany Times Union: Deputy won't take action against TSA pat down opponents at Albany airport: Officer balks as aide asks action against activists

The encounter goes downhill for Myers, as Deputy Stan Lenic ultimately points out to the airport spokesman that the pair aren't violating any laws — regardless of whether they're violating the airport authority's guidelines.

"Obviously, this is your constitutional right," Lenic tells the activists.

"You're to stay down here for awhile — keep 'em down here for a while," Myers tells Lenic.

"I can't really keep them down here," Lenic responds.

"Then we're going to close to all but ticketed passengers — we can do that," Myers says, and turns to another airport employee: "Only ticketed passengers upstairs from now on, OK?"

The activists proceed to hand out more leaflets, and Myers decides to try a different tactic.​

But ...

"Will you come next door please and fill out a form, please?" he asks.

When Bermas declines, Myers asks him to show some identification — only to be informed by Lenic that the cameraman isn't required to do that.

Myers would not speak on the record about the incident, but issued a statement from airport CEO John O'Donnell.

"On Nov. 23, we asked two individuals to move away from the escalator area of the terminal where they were distributing fliers," O'Donnell said. "Our concern — as it always is — was for the safety of the passengers and the public who were in the airport. It had nothing to do with their message or the content of their handouts. The policy we have in place for filming and leafleting in the airport is intended to help us ensure that this type of activity does not interfere with normal airport operations or safety.

"We would welcome them back to the airport to distribute their information. Filing a simple form and providing advance notice of their arrival are all that is required."​

But, but ...

It's unclear how the airport would enforce its permit requirement, which involves an application to be filed in quadruplicate at least a week before any such activity, since the Albany County sheriff sees no role in it.​

 

Yeah, ACSD supports the First Amendment.

The Second Amendment, not so much...

 

The problem with local airport filming regulations or rules is they are pretty much unenforceable by LEOs. If they are truly wanting to control all video in their airport, the easiest way to do it (at least until the court dates roll around), is to word the regulation where the individual can be removed for failure to follow the regulation (as a trespasser). Is that particular activity kosher? Not to my eyes, but it would end the situation immediately the first couple of times it happened (at least until they went to court for it). I am fairly certain that the million dollar thing they keep discussing is the insurance requirement for a filming crew operating for a company (whether it is for profit or non profit), our airport has the same clause and requirement, but that is for commercial/documentary type filming, not family or friends. I guess there would be a technicality issue that would have to be resolved - most likely in court. The problem may be that the business (airport) may get a judgment upholding their right to regulate filming based on safety issues (hence the requirement ofr the million buck insurance policy).

 

Won't survive a court challenge -- if you can be there for any other reason, you can take photos and videos while you're there.

 

So had one of the individuals had a ticket then Myers wouldn't have had an argument?

 

Agreed, and the whole situation was not handled well from a PR rep perspective. Even understanding that it would not survive a court challenge, if he was that concerned he could have employed that method to end the situation that day (it would have been wrong, but it would have ended the situation that day) and taken the fallout later on for it. The proper response would have been to leave them alone, let them film, if there is an ordinance against handing out stuff, then enforce that (many locations that are public/semi-public have ordinances against the handing out of flyers or materials) and leave them be. If they continually violate a local ordinance against handing out flyers, then you could have them removed as trespassers after warning them appropriately. The bestcourse of action, would have been to leave them alone unless they interfered with the process in some way, and then advise them politely that you do not mind them filming, talking etc, but please refrain from interfering with the process and have a nice day. If you really want to be proactive about it, bring them some water or coffee and shake their hands - and then disappear, let the LEOs observe and enforce any local ordinances and call it a day.

Perhaps, then the only problem would be if they obstructed passenger flow or the screening process, and it is easy enough to simply advise them to stand over here and film, and ask them politely to not interfere , and have a nice day. There is no expectation of privacy in the public realm, this has already been ruled on by SCOTUS, and is in effect nationwide - it is also not that hard to grasp, as evidenced by Deputy Lenics comments on the video.

 

If it is "not that hard to grasp" then why do TSA screeners continue to interfere with peoples rights to take pictures and videos of checkpoints?

Ignorance, Stupidity, or Direction from TSA HQ?

 

I would have to lean more towards ignorance than the other two (if I had to choose one of the stated 3 categories), because I have never had any direction from HQ or management that is against the posted policy -and contrary to much of the opinion I see here, the TSOs I have worked with are not stupid. I can make no excuse for the failure to understand a basic policy that is publicly posted.

 

It's not ignorance, but stupidity and directions, though not necessarily from TSA HQ, may play a part. I believe the biggest reason regarding the TSA employees attack on civil rights comes down to a perceived role of power and bullying.

To date, they haven't really been smacked enough or hard enough to realize they have overstepped their bounds. There have been some minor instances, e.g. Phil Mocek's suit, which is pending, where the TSA has been shown that they were 100% wrong, but in the grand scheme that is not the case. They've just gone on their merry way violating people's civil rights.

I am sure the recent Supreme Court decision will result in even more lawsuits against LEO's, their agencies, and other government agencies. Ultimately this will have a real effect on this particular civil right's violation by the TSA.

So in conclusion, film the TSA everytime, without exception. If I ever fly again soon, I will.

 

If we rule out direction for HQ, and I see no reason to do so, that means lots of TSA employees are either not being trained, are to stupid to retain their training, or just plain ignorant and no amount of effort will bring them in line. In my experience those people should be fired. Guess TSA just gives them a pass so they can terrorize the traveling public.