“First Amendment Auditors” Roam Public Buildings Armed and Film Interactions with Employees

A pair of self-described “First Amendment auditors” have being showing up increasingly at government buildings across the U.S., including at police and fire departments, airports, and natural gas plants. The two men, identified as Patrick Roth and Tim Harper, are visibly armed and video tape their experiences at these buildings, such as when they encounter employees. Usually refusing to identify themselves, they zoom in on employees, calling them by name and often making them visibly uncomfortable. Occasionally – and especially if the encounters become confrontational –  they stream their videos live, prompting their viewers to call the police departments and other offices to protest what they say is wrongful treatment of the “auditors.” The videos are then posted on YouTube, where they receive thousands of views and elicit a barrage of comments. Roth and others like him say they’re simply auditing their public servants to see how they interact with those they are supposed to be serving. Then, the so-called auditors say, they “educate” those public employees they deem to have violated their constitutional rights. But critics, including domestic terrorism experts, say the tactics are intimidating and that the “auditors” seem intent on inciting authorities. And they fear that it’s just a matter of time before one of the encounters turns violent. In the most recent WaterISAC Threat Analysis for the Water Sector (covering the period of January to June 2018), WaterISAC discussed how one water utility reported similar behavior from a group calling itself the “High Desert Community Watch Network.” Read the full article at Emergency Management.