Police in the line of duty are being recorded on cellphones, and some of the footage has been highly controversial.
While taping police in public is legal in California, critics say some officers use loopholes to keep cameras from rolling.
A bill introduced today is designed to put the issue into focus.
"It's simply observing," said San Diego resident Per Larson. "It's no different than somebody standing on the corner and watching what a police officer is doing, they just happen to be recording it."
Most recently, Los Angeles police were recorded on a cellphone as officers shot and killed a man on Skid Row on Sunday.
Police said he struggled with them for control of one of their guns.
When officers are taped, some react. And some say the current laws don't go far enough to protect citizens.
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Thursday, one California lawmaker introduced Senate Bill 411, which aims to reinforce the First Amendment and underscores recording protections for civilians and police.
The bill states that recording public safety officers in the course of their duties does not constitute an obstruction of an officer, Penal Code 148
"There shouldn't be a reason why they couldn't tape," said Ray Regno of San Diego.
San Diego Police Department spokesman Lt. Scott Wahl said officers go through training on recording laws at a crime scene, during an arrest or in other law enforcement situations.
"There is no law that prevents you from filming," Lt. Wahl said Thursday. "But certainly we cant have people standing inside of our crime scenes or getting in the middle of an arrest that we're trying to make. It's not safe for officers, it's not safe for the public, and it's not safe for anybody that's involved in that situation."
When it comes to the law clarifying cellphone taping of officers, the local ACLU is reviewing the bill and said in part in a statement, "Generally, we support efforts to protect freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Where an individual is not interfering with law enforcement activity and is lawfully present on the property photographing or recording police officers is protected speech that should not be punished."
The ACLU adds that they encourage people to video tape interactions to promote transparency.
The San Diego Department emphasized the phones are best used at a safe distance.
The only state NBC 7 found where taping police in public on a cellphone is illegal was Illinios.
