So, earlier today, as part of my project to photograph Gloria L. Smith's 1985 Black Heritage Tour of Tucson, Arizona, I did a lot of research at the library with the reference librarians, to determine where Levin's Park was located.
At Levin's Park, Smith wrote, Banjo Dick would play his music after getting off work. In 1985, apparently almost nothing was left of the park, as a new building was being built.
It took a while to pin down where it must be -- because the old roads are gone now, and new skyscrapers have been built since the 1800s, not to mention since the '80s. Plus, Smith's map and addresses were sometimes dubious.
But eventually we determined that the old Levin's Park -- a private park and brewery which was an entertainment center for early Tucson -- was located on what is now the state government building.
And that's what almost got me arrested as a terrorist...
Update: I posted the offending pictures on my website and selected some of the better ones for my LiveJournal.
So I found a few more sites I had yet to locate, including the elusive Cosmopolitan Hotel, the Old Palace Hotel, the San Xavier Hotel, and Neale's Stables. Which meant I'd located everything, and just had pictures left to take. So I thanked the librarians, and went out to do photography.
Things were pretty easy to figure out the San Xavier, which was just a little north of the old train station on Toole. I even went up to the city office across the street and asked them not only if I could take some pictures out their window, but also if they knew about the apparent renumbering of addresses in the city. Apparently from the early 80s on, they started renumbering the random addresses of the city.
Working my way along the route, I snapped more pictures including a city park and another city hall building which was once the Cosmopolitan. Then I went to the old Levin's Park site, photographed some of the outside, and noticed an inside courtyard. I went inside the state buliding, took pictures of the ceiling (I'll have those for you soon) and started to leave.
"Excuse me," said an Arizona State Policeman. "What are you doing?"
"Um...taking pictures."
"Why are you taking pictures?"
"Umm...for photography purposes."
"Well, you need to show me identification."
"I...what?"
"You do, it's the law."
"Which law is that?"
"It's a new law. I don't know the exact law."
"Um..."
"I'm just asking you to show me your ID, sir."
"You're asking me. Okay. I'm not doing it."
"Why not?"
"..."
"Because this is America. We don't have to just Show Papers."
"Yes, you do. Now show me your ID so we don't have to do this the hard way and take you in to the office."
"I'm not going to until you tell me the law."
The police officer then called another police officer, saying that he'd corraborate that I needed to show ID. The other cop showed up quickly and again reiterated the demand that I produce ID. "In case anything happens later, we know who you were," explained the first state police officer.
They took me outside. The new cop explained that "Basically what you're doing is trespassing," and once more threatened me with going to the office, whatever that would mean.
I didn't want to give my ID unless they could tell me why I had to, and they never did. So I started taking notes, such as "Basically what you're doing is trespassing."
"Am I being arrested?"
"No, you're being detained while we investigate what you're doing here."
"After 9/11," the second cop said, "Taking photographs of public buildings is something for law enforcement to be concerned about."
I didn't say anything. I just wrote. He insisted that I tell him who I am working for and why I am taking pictures. "If you're doing this for a University of Arizona class, you have to get permission from the building manager."
I scribbled that down.
"Us police officers, we're charged with protection of state property, and this is state property," he said. "You're doing photography for who? For yourself, for a company?"
"These are things we need to know."
I just wrote that down and didn't answer.
"You can write and speak at the same time," he snarled, annoyed at my lack of answer.
"No, I can't, actually, it's not easy for me," I said. Multitasking isn't always easy for nervous ADD people who are trying to get down everything lest they be arrested for terrorism.
"You need to stop writing, and answer our questions."
"These are things we need to know," he repeated.
"What's your first name?" asked the first cop. I looked at him then ignored the question.
"You're making yourself look more suspicious by refusing to give us your ID," the second cop said. "We need to know whether you're a person who goes around to government buildings to incite suspicious behavior."
I looked at the two cops and considered the way my life is going now, and the state of the country. I put my pen in my pocket. "Keep your hands out of your pockets!" growled one of the guards.
At this point in my life, things are somewhat up in the air. I don't really want to have to fight arrest, and there are already test cases for this kind of stuff making their way through the court system. Maybe it wasn't the best choice -- maybe I will regret it later -- but the force of police intimidation gets stronger when you know you're living in a country which is willing to discard the rule of law and our cherished principles.
So, I caved, eventually, sensing the cops were getting even more angry with me. I reached for my wallet -- they stepped back as if going to pull guns and shoot me -- so I said "I'm getting my wallet out now."
I handed it over to the second cop, who started writing it down, confirmed it was my current address, and asked me if I have any outstanding warrants. The first cop continued to ask me questions.
"Why are you here? Have you been taking photographs of over government buildings?" he quizzed.
I didn't answer him.
"Because if you do this somewhere else, you'll get the same thing." Actually, so far nobody had tried to arrest me.
I thanked him for the information.
Then I asked him his name.
"Lieutenant Juarez. Badge 301."
I wrote it down, and then looked up at him. "Your first name?" I asked him, glancing at the first initial of "M. Juarez" on his badge.
"Just Lieutenant."
I shrugged. "You asked me my first name."
"That's because I will either call you by your first name or your last name. You, you will call me 'Lieutenant Juarez.'"
I shrugged again and asked the other cop his name. "Bustamante." He reluctantly gave me his badge number, 536, when I asked for it. I said, "And your rank?" He stared blankly at me.
"He's a lieutenant. Are you one also?"
"Officer. Just officer, that's all you need to know." I wrote that down. He called the police station.
I zapped off a few IMs to my friends via my cell phone's instant messenger. "I'm being asked to show id for taking pictures of the state govt office," I sent to several friends. "Currently detained by two cops."
A few minutes later the seecond cop turned back to me. I guess this means I'm not on the most serious of government watch lists, or something, which is both a relief and somewhat disappointing.
"Next time," he ordered, while I wrote down his exact words, "Next time you need to ask permission. It's just common sense. It's nothing sinister. It's just common sense."
He handed my driver's license back to me.
"Leave. Now."
I started walking away.
The temptation was very strong...
...I somehow managed to resist turning around and snapping a picture of the two of them.
They probably would have broken my expensive camera and kicked me around a bit.
