Would I take a camera downtown without a police presence? No, I would not. It would not be safe. I am not naïve about the need of some people to take advantage of or hurt others. It does not matter if it is because of drugs, mental illness, or some other problem. The police are not perfect. I have had some problems with police. As with other occupations, there are going to be some that are not good at their job and we need to deal with that problem. There are also cultural issues that need to change. But when I am on the street I know they are there to make sure everyone respects each other. They do a difficult job, and most do it very well. So, I will end it here by thanking the Seattle Police Department for the job they do. Nikon FM2 and Nikon 50mm 1.8 E Series Lens. Kodak 400TX developed in Rodinal 1:25 for 7 minutes @20C. The bottom image was taken with the Nikon FM2 and the same 50mm Nikon Series E 1.8 Lens. Kodak Portra 400 developed at Panda Lab Seattle.
https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/this-is-what-being-a-seattle-cop-is-like/
Steven Lawrence Pictures 
If I’m out and about and the police are on the street I tend to not bring my camera to my face. I’ve never had any trouble with the police but having read too many stories of police prohibiting photography I’m skittish. Perhaps needlessly, but there it is.
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Seattle Police are very good at letting you shoot whatever you want including them. I made the mistake of being sarcastic one time when asked what I was doing and I found the police do not like that at all. Now I go out of my way to be respectful.
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Sarcasm always seems to be lost on law enforcement officers.
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