Above Zero

I’ve seen some things, but watching a police department admit they were wrong to a citizen? That hits different. Jeff Gray, who refers to himself as a "civil rights investigator," was holding a sign at the Sanford Farmers Market to advocate for homeless veterans. Officers were called to the scene after complaints were made about his presence. During the encounter, officers told Gray he was being trespassed from the area and ordered him to leave. At one point, an officer told him, "You can exercise your right somewhere else, we just don't want you here." Shortly after the initial encounter, the officers returned to Gray and informed him that they had made a mistake, acknowledging that he was exercising his First Amendment rights. The Sanford Police Department later posted a statement on their Facebook page confirming they were aware of the incident, admitted a mistake was made, and stated that the officers involved were being addressed. They emphasized their commitment to upholding First Amendment rights in future service calls. ​Jeff Gray is known for "First Amendment auditing," a practice where he travels to different cities to film police and local government officials to test their compliance with constitutional rights. He has been involved in several high-profile legal cases and settlements across the Southeast—particularly in Georgia—where cities have been forced to change their policies, undergo training, or pay damages after violating his rights to demonstrate or record police activity.