Question on legality of photo taking..

[Wiseass]

I'm posting this here rather than the photo forum as it has to do with my house, however mods if you feel its more suited for there, please move it..

So I've had an issue lately with punk kids spray painting my garage, the cable box between my house and the neighbors, and just overall cutting through my yard and shit like stepping on my flowers, turning over garbage cans, and just being a nuisance. I've spotted a group of them every once in a while, sometimes its the same group of kids, other times its a different group, walking through my yard, the neighbors down a bit, and just overall hanging out being a bunch of punks. At one point I was standing at the end of the alleyway and spotted a group of them walk up to a light pole, one of them pullled something out of his pocket, and looked like he drew on the pole, and they turned, saw me and just walked off. I watched them go through the next alleyway over, come out around the end into that guys yard, and I was standing at my yard, and watched them, they spotted me, one of them did the typical head nod as if to say "sup" and they took off over the hill into the next neighborhood/street. Sure enough when I went to the light pole there was like some gang symbol drawn on there. I'm guessing it was a sharpie marker or something similar as the kid looked like he had it in his hands.

Later that night, sure enough, my garage door, the cable box, the one at the front of my house (where the kids were standing) and the fence of the people behind me, were tagged. The cops came out and said it's definitely gang related, and probably two rival gangs just marking their turf, or trying to let the other gang know they're there.

I guess now is the time they recruit new members, and get these kids to go around and prove their worth by tagging shit and generally being a pain in the ass.

Now my question is, if I'm in back with my kids or the neighbors and just hanging around, and I see some kids come by, do I have any right to take pictures of them if I happen to have my camera out and ready? considering it's technically my property they're walking through (the side yard to get to the alleyway) I have every right to correct? What about if I'm walking through the neighborhood and spot a group of them, can I take their pics as well? It's public property correct so I can take pics?

I honestly dont know what good taking the pics would do, but I guess it might let them know that someone is watching them and if they're up to no good, they'll get caught. Granted it might put me at risk to be a target for more crap to happen, but then again, if I take the pic of some kids walkin through my yard, and the next morning the garage door is tagged, I can goto the cops and give them the pics and say "The night before that happened these are the kids who came through my yard"

I guess I wouldn't be pointing the finger cuz I know theres no proof those kids did it, however if they did it, they know I have their pics and maybe that would entice them to stop? Overal the neighbors generally seem concerned, as it's happening to all of us on the end units because we're in close proximity to the hill that leads to the street/next neighborhood. I guess I'd be the first one being proactive about it and maybe getting the neighbors worked up enough to do something instead of hiding in their houses like little bitches.

I'm not worried about any real confrontation happening, not with some teenage kid. Theres plenty of people that are out in the neighborhood/alleyway at night anyway, so it's not like I'd be alone if something happened, plus everyone I've seen has been like maybe mid teens or so. Sure I'm worried they might be carrying a weapon or something, but you know what, thats a chance I take. and these little punks need to know I'm not tolerating this shit.

[Lurker]

If you want to take pics of them you can and its not illegal. When my car was repeatedly keyed the police told me to setup surveillance or photograph them myself while they are doing it for evidence and proof. If you will do this I highly recommend you do it in a very covert manner, like from a window. You dont want to expose yourself to them, it will just bring about even more shit when they know who took their pictures. This way you can anonymously provide the pictures to the fuzz.

[Slacker]

If you're standing on public property (or your orwn) any pictures you take from there are legal.

Now if you ask them to say cheese and some of them end up getting arrested or questioned by the police, you can bet your house will be their first stop.

Personally I'd wait a block or two away with a paintball gun. Any time they tag something, tag them right back. But getting your neighbors involved and making the area hostile towards them should help too.

[Lurker]

Originally Posted by Slacker

If you're standing on public property (or your orwn) any pictures you take from there are legal.

Now if you ask them to say cheese and some of them end up getting arrested or questioned by the police, you can bet your house will be their first stop.

Personally I'd wait a block or two away with a paintball gun. Any time they tag something, tag them right back. But getting your neighbors involved and making the area hostile towards them should help too.

I like this idea as well. Dress up so your faces are concealed and just shoot them up.

[Wiseass]

Originally Posted by Slacker

If you're standing on public property (or your orwn) any pictures you take from there are legal.

Now if you ask them to say cheese and some of them end up getting arrested or questioned by the police, you can bet your house will be their first stop.

Personally I'd wait a block or two away with a paintball gun. Any time they tag something, tag them right back. But getting your neighbors involved and making the area hostile towards them should help too.

I thought about sitting on the garage roof (overlooks the side yard and alley) with my phantom pump and some nice thick paint

But the neighbors are involved, especially the ones that are on the end units like myself that have issues. I'm probably asking for trouble by taking pics but at this point they've already spray painted my garage door twice, tossed garbage in the yard (like everywhere, took a big 33 gallon can and just dumped it, opened the bag and it was all over. I don't know what much more they can do and im not scared of them attempting anything by any means as like I said theres always people around in the alley just hanging out, neighbors and whatnot, and at this point I don't care. I'm going to the city council meeting on July 31st with photos of the previous damage, complaints from other neighbors and even the police reports to ask the city to put up a fence along the street/hill there seeing as the homeowners association and builders won't do jack and shit about it.

The police said we can phone in the report of anyone trasspassing or anyone that we see wandering through the neighborhood, so I've got the non-emergency # in my cell phone and have it with me when I walk around and whatnot, however the problem I have with that is, by the time I call the police, being non emergency they won't respond as quick (helll it took them over an hour to show up after I called in the grafitti), the kids will be long gone.

[Briandl79]

You can but I don't know that it's the most effective way to deal with the situation, setting up video cameras would probably make more sense...

[Ottawagoa]

FUcking paintball them, honest to god, they're only punk 14-18 year olds, if you dont release your location, they can't figure out where or who is doing it, and you do it more than once, there is NO way they'll come back


Think of it like this, its gang related right? gang's are based very much on heirarchy, power, money etc. etc. When you immasculate the FULL group of kids by hitting them with paintballs, causing small amounts of pain, but more importantly RUINING their gang shirts/ ghetto clothes they spent large amounts of cash on they're going to think twice about it.

To make it completel anonymous, write in paint on the asphalt near the pole: "Anyone caught spray painting will be paintballed without remorse to show you the difficulties of paint removal." Or dont warn them, just paintball them.

Btw buy the paintballs that aren't easily removed, make them realize that their 100 dollar shirt and 150 dollar pants isn't worth taggin a fucking light pole.

Good luck

[Ottawagoa]

Oh and if you're sick and tired of them fuckign with your lawn here's a great idea:

Most punk kids wear white shoes, next time you water your lawn throw in a full bottle of green dye, whenever a punk kid with white shoes walks thru your yard:
BAM pair of ruined white shoes!

hah, dont forget get the shit that can't easily be removed, they'll think twice about getting their 150 dollar white shoes green just to save 2 seconds by walking on some dudes lawn.

BTW WARN people of that, because you dont want to have some stupid ass law loophole that says you owe them a damn pair of shoes. (Like a sign, Green coloring dye used on grass, rubs off!)

GL

[Wiseass]

Alternatively I thought about getting some of the pepperballs they use in riot control. I've got a friend in the force who can get me some for you know, self protection

I considered the webcam/security cam thing, and actually made a post in about what types of cameras to look for, and those that work best in low light as this mainly seems to be happening late-night.

Although the kids walking around during the day I think is mainly them scoping out the places or whatever.

Hell they may not even be related, but knowing how retarded some of these kids are these days, they might be trying to come back to the scene of the crime to see if their work has been defaced/removed/etc,

[Hoon]

Originally Posted by Ottawagoa

Think of it like this, its gang related right? gang's are based very much on heirarchy, power, money etc. etc. When you immasculate the FULL group of kids by hitting them with paintballs, causing small amounts of pain, but more importantly RUINING their gang shirts/ ghetto clothes they spent large amounts of cash on they're going to think twice about it.

To make it completel anonymous, write in paint on the asphalt near the pole: "Anyone caught spray painting will be paintballed without remorse to show you the difficulties of paint removal." Or dont warn them, just paintball them.

Btw buy the paintballs that aren't easily removed, make them realize that their 100 dollar shirt and 150 dollar pants isn't worth taggin a fucking light pole.
Good luck

....the clothes will only be ruined until they wash them, paintball paint comes out pretty easily. (it is designed not to permanently stain clothes)
nevertheless, the small but painful welts should catch their attention.

[Wiseass]

Originally Posted by Hoon

....the clothes will only be ruined until they wash them, paintball paint comes out pretty easily. (it is designed not to permanently stain clothes)
nevertheless, the small but painful welts should catch their attention.

some ofthe thicker paints do stain, especially white clohes

at least the oily residue tends to leave a mark after a full day of play. ive got countless t-shirts that are stained with sches.

[Chaka Kahn]

Where do you live in Illinois?

[Heathen-Yak]

if you're in public, out in the open you have no expectation of privacy. you can take pictures of ANYONE if they're outside.