Police harass innocent photographers

[Mulder]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7351252.stm

As a keen photographer, this really annoys me! It's not the photographers who don't understand their rights, it's the police!

Trainspotters have also been harassed in a similar way by railway officials and police, despite there being an official agreement concerning their rights approved by Railtrack. (No, I'm not a trainspotter!)

These are worrying signs that we are continuing to lurch yet further away from a free, liberal society. When I was a kid, I saw a policeman as a reassuring sign of law and order. Now I just wonder whether they're going to hassle me whenever I do anything 'out of the ordinary', like taking a photo!

[dalriada]

It's displacement behaviour. With the rise of armed and violent crime, the police feel threatened with and unable to cope with and tackle that, so they shift attentions to enforcing "the letter of the law" with less threatening targets.


Or something like that...

[Mulder]

Maybe it's all those targets all public bodies have these days ...

[tolman]

I'm not sure it's displacement activity as such, possibly more that people feel they should be doing something about terrorism, paedophilia, etc, but given that there's not a lot they can do, they latch onto innocent people and they don't have the brains to realise and/or the guts to admit when they're making a mistake.

I think some people like the feelings they can generate at the thought of there being evil people nearby, almost as if they can only feel what they have is validated as worthwhile if they can think there's someone desperately trying to take it away from them.

[ZERO]

I'm not sure what the guy was taking pictures of but, if a policeman asked me to stop taking photos and delete the ones I had taken, he would be in for one hell of an argument. >:-)
I wouldn't meekly allow my rights to be trampled.

Unfortunately some police officers think they have much more authority than they actually do.

[Skeptiger]

I find this all unbelievably sad. Because of the mass hysteria about terrorism, paedophilia and such, suddenly everyone is a suspect. I have never doubted that there are terrorists or paedophiles out there. But to assume you are guilty just because you have a camera is surely a major step too far.

But once this kind of fear is instilled in society, can it ever be removed? After years of wanting one, I finally bought myself a Digital SLR camera last year. Problem is, I actually feel guilty taking pictures, and if there are children anywhere in range, I will opt to take the shot from elsewhere or not take it at all just in case! Just because I am out on my own with a camera in an area not normally known for tourists, suddenly I am an object of suspicion...

It must be even harder for guys.

It is all I can do not to tut tut and mutter 'what is the world coming to' :smiley:. But then I might feel like I am getting old!!