Catching the police on camera in The Colony won't get you ticketed, but you will get a card with advice on recording them.
The department has launched a program to encourage the safe recording of officers in the field.
Officers now carry small, printed cards that state it is a citizen's First Amendment right to record the actions of police officers.
The card just asks that people be respectful of other citizens' privacy by leaving private peoples' license plates and faces out of it, recording from a safe distance and safe location off of others' private property and giving the department a copy of the recording if the recording includes something that could be helpful to an investigation.
"We just wanted to get ahead of it and explain to the citizens, yes it's OK to record us, we expect it," said The Colony Police Chief David Coulon.
Coulon said he created the program after a recent police conference where the topic came up about the growing prevalence of officers being video recorded.
Groups like Cop Block Dallas have been seen throughout the Metroplex doing so, and their leaders told NBC 5 last year that it's all meant to hold police accountable and make sure they abide by the law too.
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Coulon said his department has not encountered the group but can agree with their mission as long as it's being done in a way that allows the officers to protect and serve and keeps the camera-person safe.
"No police chief wants there to be a video of an officer not doing his job correctly," said Coulon. "But any responsible police chief wants to see that video immediately."
The department also released a video on its website having some fun with the topic by having police employees "record" others while at their jobs, but in the end they presented the same message as the cards. One of the officers simply puts it, "we really don't mind if you film us."
The Colony police recently began using body cameras on officers as well, in hopes of increasing accountability and transparency between the public and officers.
