Just read the following on the Big Knob Blog…
“Once an activity falls under the shadow of suspicion, it is inevitable that other officials will get in on the act. They are now empowered to bend the law. Jobsworths of every shade – from traffic wardens to PCSOs to Park Keepers - have attempted to prevent the public taking photographs, for all manner of thoroughly fictitious reasons.
Equally, those who wish to carry out what is a perfectly legal activity begin to feel intimidated. Not just by officials – but by the wider public as well. So they self-censor. They skulk. They begin to buy in to the view that there is something odd about wishing to take photographs…
…In theory, Police should be well aware that they have no powers to remove cameras or take film without a court order.
Campaigners on the other side are far blunter and increasingly bitter. They point out that Police who seize items are guilty of theft - a criminal offence. Where journalists and members of the public come into contact with the police, they are urged always to keep their cool. The bottom line, however, is that attempts to remove film or camera should always be resisted…
…If private individuals were as cavalier with their language and statements to the police as Humberside appear to have been, they would run the risk of being charged with perjury. At the very least, their statements would have been produced in court to demonstrate that they were unreliable witnesses…
…Any similarity between this incident and the remarkable confessions that used to take place in the back of police vans before suspects arrived at the station is purely coincidental…
…the accompanying quote is either very funny or chillingly accurate: “photography presents a unique problem for law enforcement”, mutters a non-existent spokesperson for the Met, “because it is not illegal”.”
Read the full article here
One Response to “The war on photographers - you’re all al Qaeda suspects now”
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June 25, 2008 at 18:29 46
You know, I personally still believe that much of what is happening is just the usual thing that happens with many who join the police force (here and over there). Some people, once they strap on a badge and/or gun assume they have the right to do whatever they want because they represent “law and order”.
They get a big chip on their shoulder and act like idiots. They go on a power trip. They assume they know best (whether they know the law or not) and act accordingly. They turn into bullies.
And this too could go far as to explaining why the number of incidents are as low as they are. On the whole the folks in blue are good people, but there are always a few bad apples in any barrel.