🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello-

The story- an 8 year old girl is abducted. Shortly after the police are called,
 she and
her kidnapper are found in some nearby bushes.The victim may have been sexually
assaulted.

The live shot- On the sidewalk in front of the house and bushes where the
 suspect was
captured. Several hours later, so there is no longer a police presence.

The problem- 4 young gang members (including one who said she was the mother of
 the
victim) who didn't want us there. They were yelling at us from the moment we
 started to
set up. The situation escalated to the point where they were right in front of
 the
camera yelling and using 'one fingered' sign language.(before our hit time)
 Meantime the
reporter and other photog(sent for security purposes-though we're not really
 trained for
that type of work) are on the 2-way talking to the station. The folks back at
 the
station made the wise decision that we didn't need the shot that badly. This is
 about
the time when one of these kids slapped my camera. Yes, I got it on tape. We
 tear down,
leave, and the situation is over.

The question is- Do stations have policies designed to prevent this type of
 situation?
If not, maybe its something to think about. The follow up question is- if you do
 have
such a policy, are the photogs,producers,directors, and desk people *aware* of
 whatever
rules may be in effect? My own opinion (for live shots) is that sometimes, bad
neighborhoods should be avoided in the same way lightning storms always are.
I also know the bigger question here might be 'why were we going live so long
 after the
incident in the first place?' But I believe that has been discussed on this list
 before.


Thanks-
John (speaking for myself) Simon
KSL TV
Salt Lake City, UT