Responding to First Amendment Audits

Course Hours: 2.0 Hours

Course Description

A First Amendment Audit is a form of activism where citizen-journalists video or photograph challenging interactions with officers and, on occasion, other government representatives (agents), attempting to provoke the government agent to shut down the recording and infringe upon the auditor's First Amendment right. First Amendment Auditors can present a challenge for the modern law enforcement officer and government agent, in an evolving society where cameras are truly in every pants pocket and storefront. In this moment, cameras are simply everywhere. Government officers and agents must be prepared to be recorded at any time when interacting with the public. 

 Tom Kirkbride has been a peace officer in Georgia for 35 years. He is currently the legal advisor for the Clayton County Police Department and is a licensed attorney in the State of Georgia. Tom Kirkbride's background includes the representation of officers and agencies in cases involving First Amendment Auditor encounters. In this video lecture, Tom Kirkbride presents best practice guidelines to promote successful encounters with First Amendment Auditors. Students will view video recordings of actual First Amendment Audits and be challenged to determine whether the audits are good, bad, or potentially both.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Who Should Attend

This course is intended for all public safety personnel and employees of governmental agencies.

Start Date End Date Location (Hover for more information) Time Course Number Status
10/01/2024 10/31/2024 ONLINE ITCW24806 Register