ACCESS TO EMERGENCY SCENES

Following the fire in downtown Raleigh, we had an inquiry about access and the right to be on — and take photographs from — public property.  The Raleigh Police Department’s Media Policies specifically state that although access may be denied “to crime scenes or areas determined to pose unreasonable risk to health or public safety,” media “will not be prohibited from entering into or photographing from any areas accessible to the general public … Media representatives will be allowed access to any street, sidewalk or public area that is accessible to the general public during an incident or event.” You can read the RPD policy in full here: Raleigh PD Media Policy.  And here is the Durham PD policy:  Durham PD Media Policy