Travel & Humanitarian Photos
Not before time, the UK police are now provided with guidelines on the laws regarding photography in public places. After numerous examples of officers over-stretching their authority and abusing Stop and Search powers, they are now clearly reminded that the Terrorism Act should only be invoked in exceptional circumstances, not to prevent photographers from exercising their legal right to take photographs in public places.
The guidelines, which can be downloaded from the National Police Improvement Agency web site, remind police officers that photography is a perfectly legal activity and that photographers should only be questioned when there is reasonable suspicion that a terrorist activity may be taking place.
The guidelines go on to state that police officers have no power to delete digital files or to destroy film. Indeed, they suggest that officers do not attempt to examine images and should instead try to preserve them as potential evidence.
I’d be the first to support the police force in what must be an incredibly difficult job in testing times but these guidelines come not a moment too soon and anything that can stop the rot of ever-decreasing civil liberties must surely be welcomed and applauded.
Even though I don’t live in the UK, it’s great to hear this.
Photographers are often stigmatized these days. Not only by the police but by a lot of civilians too.
It’s a difficult job, but so is being a doctor, so is being a car mechanic when it comes to it, but in neither would you accept a sloppy job being done and in neither would you accept “well, it’s difficult” as an excuse if someone told you that you only had a week left to live or you suddenly found your car buried in a wall because the mechanic had forgotten to put your brakes back on after a service. If they can’t do the job then they shouldn’t be doing it and difficulty should be no “get out of jail free” card if you’ll pardon the pun lol.
I don’t want to get too political or hug too many trees here, nor do I want to be too cynical and go off on a rant but whilst I applaud the introduction of these guidelines, it remains to be seen what effect they’ll have in relation to what you rightly describe as “the rot of ever-decreasing civil liberties”. Photographers are the tip of the iceberg and here’s 3 links for your perusal
http://www.libdems.org.uk/home/baker-trainspotters-and-passengers-stopped-using-counter-terrorism-powers-115661311;show
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7819230.stm
http://enigmail.mozdev.org/home/index.php
Great news!! Yep, the public are the worst offenders!
I dont live in the UK either but its all wide spread corruption really isnt it!! Sure theres some good cops but mostly they are a bunch of brainwashed individuals using power to control the masses. Good to hear the guidelines are in place and i really hope they work. I live in Australia where we have guidelines too…yet boys get shot by police, aboriginals die in police cells and children starve themselves in detention centres. Sorry this is rather a negative note to end on but what can i say? I dont like cops!