People who take photos in public get hassled all the time for various reasons. Photographing people is really tricky; if they aren't just faces in a crowd shot, it's best to ask permission. Taking a picture of somebody's kid is a good way to get a beat-down. Photographing private property from a public place, as in this story, will get you hassled by rent-a-cops who don't know the law. Photographing cops, while perfectly legal as long as you don't interfere with the performance of their duties, gets a lot of people arrested. Finally, in some neighborhoods, the residents think it's just fun to attack photographers and steal their gear. (A Somali kid in Lewiston, Maine, hit me in the head with a rock while I was taking a picture of a railroad trestle. The little punk had a good arm.)
Be careful out there!
People who take photos in public get hassled all the time for various reasons.I frequently do "drive by" property valuations and occupancy checks for banks, asset management companies and outsourcers. They involve photos of the subject property, usually from several angles, with emphasis on damages and surroundings in many cases. I have been challenged by homeowners and tenants from time to time, but usually a few words of explanation cool things off. I've also been cut off by a carload of thugs who asked "Wha'fo you takin' my pitcha?" I don't accept assignments to that 'hood any more; don't need to become the next Zimmerman.