'First Amendment auditors' scope Phoenix facilities, prompting a warning to city staff

“First Amendment auditors" — individuals who record every corner of a public place for the sake of exercising their constitutional rights — visited at least two Phoenix facilities last week, prompting a warning to city staff.

When two "auditors" visited the Calvin C. Goode Municipal building on Tuesday and began recording, it wasn’t the first time Phoenix police had to be notified of such an occurrence, city spokeswoman Julie Watters said.

Auditors say they are only trying to hold the government accountable.

They are known for visiting public facilities and trying to access and film as much of them as possible, including areas marked as "no entry." They often post their videos online, and some have thousands of followers.

But the city considers them a safety concern.

“Phoenix is not the first city that has experienced this situation,” Watters said. “Members of the public have the right to access and/or videotape public areas within city facilities as long as they do not interfere with public safety or normal business.”

City staff was warned in an email after last week's visits.

"These individuals ignored signage identifying restricted-access areas and were uncooperative with city staff when asked to leave restricted areas," the message said.

The email offered tips for city workers who encounter such "auditors."

"If you are approached by anyone recording within a city building, be courteous and professional," it said, adding that security should be notified, or 911 if the employee feels threatened.

The auditors visited two buildings Tuesday. After leaving the municipal building, they stopped at the Phoenix Housing Department, pulled out their cameras and hit the record button once again.

It wasn’t long before the auditors began filming in restricted areas, Watters said. “Police and security contacted the individuals and after a short time the individuals left the city buildings,” Watters said.

The men were not identified. No videos of the incident could be located online.

“Arizona Auditor” is a First Amendment auditor with over 11,000 subscribers and over 200 videos on YouTube. He was arrested last year in Goodyear visiting a post office.

“The city of Phoenix supports transparency and public access into our facilities,” Watters said. “However, we will not tolerate any compromise to the safety and security of our employees and our customers.”

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