Photograph a cop, go to jail

[Keith]

I think society needs to remember that the police are here to serve the public and should not be perceived as being the enforcement arm of the political system's laws which is what they seem to be turning into in most countries.

It's a joke ... in reality there is no more crime on this planet than there ever was ... in fact statistically there's less. Yet they keep being given more and more power over us!

 

[TimSki]

I think society needs to remember that the police are here to serve the public and should not be perceived as being the enforcement arm of the political system's laws which is what they seem to be turning into in most countries.

An astute observation - if the political system didn't keep trying to do so much its enforcement arm would revert to its focus on traditional crime.

 

[chambrenoire]

The world is turning into a prison planet...

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

This is 'normal' in some places.

In Portugal I cannot photograph a police officer.

On the television news their faces are blurred.

It's not just photos: even the trading standards officers looking for counterfeit CD's and the like go into markets dressed like delta force.

I do make photos of soldiers in uniform, although I wait until they are too drunk to care...

 

[sleepyhead]

Cops... Yup, here to serve the people:

Attached photo by Jeffrey Blackfort, appeared in Album Magazine (London), Issue 1, 1970.

 

[sleepyhead]

Another dignified picture of Our Boys in Blue, this time by W. Eugene Smith - Peace Demonstration in Central Park, NYC, 1969.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Who was it who photographed the miners' strike in Britain and the police officer on a horse attacking a striker?

 

[Sparrow]

Who was it who photographed the miners' strike in Britain and the police officer on a horse attacking a striker?

John Harris, I think it was the only one he ever took

this pic?

 

[helen.HH]

I have a bit of a Fetish shooting Police (Pun Intended)...
here are a few: 😀

World Trade Summit NYC
Car Following Pope Car-GRD2
NYC Police Hangin on Street Corner-RD1 90 Cron

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

John Harris, I think it was the only one he ever took

this pic?

Exactly, thank you.

 

[user237428934]

.sarcasm on.
I fully understand that in the UK and US such a law is necessary. The amount of democracy and freedom in those two countries is so high it needs extra protection to preserve them. My country is probably 1.75% less democratic and offers 1.82% less freedom so we don't need this.
.sarcasm off

This law is very positive for some racist police officers beating up a coloured person. If someone takes evidence photos of this he could be arrested and the film material confiscated.

 

[Sparrow]

Exactly, thank you.

Certainly cool under fire. If one is going to be a one-hit wonder best make it a good’n

 

[dfoo]

Avotius:

I'd be a lot more careful if I were you. There is less than ZERO civil rights in China--especially for foreigners. There is no rule of law there or respect for humanity.

Bill

Where does this China bashing come from I wonder? Makes me sick. I lived in China for 4 years, and let me tell you there was more freedoms in China than in any Western country. Yes, perhaps if I stood on a street corner preaching against the authorities day in and day out I might get in trouble.

 

[Wahoo]

One thing is universal. Cops and Donuts.

It's an absolute disgrace that we can't photograph the lads in blue, here's one from the eighties 'the lads, busy at work'

 

[Ade-oh]

Before we get too over-excited, a version of this law has been in operation for several years in the UK, and for much longer in Northern Ireland, IIRC, and is aimed at people doing reconnaissance for terrorist attacks. It doesn't make it an offence to take photographs of policemen, soldiers or spies, it makes it an offence to collect information about them 'likely' to be of use to terrorists. Like most common law jurisdictions, it will ultimately be up to the courts to interpret what that means and I suspect most judges would take a dim view of the police arresting people simply for taking innocent photographs of policemen.

 

[Michael Markey]

Big Brother

Big Brother

The loss of basic and fundamental freedom is astonishing in both its breadth & speed. Big brother is alive and watching...

It`s not only the police either. The UK has become so paranoid that suspicion of photographers extends to other official bodies. I was recently taking pictures at a local historic building run by the National Trust. Trying to "do a " Roger Hicks by photographing some interesting Tudor door locks in a studded door ! I was challenged by the head Gardener. I explained what I was doing but as I left caught him taking pictures of both myself and my car registration.
I was so angry that I turned the car around but ,by that time , he had gone.
Found the caretaker who claimed it a coincidence and suggested that the gardener was only taking pictures of the trees .

 

[Keith]

It's an absolute disgrace that we can't photograph the lads in blue, here's one from the eighties 'the lads, busy at work'

The bunch on the right look like they're snorting lines of coke to me! 😛

 

[zincman]

Hummmmm

Hummmmm

At the risk of being slammed for eternity by some on this forum, the reason we have such stupid laws and stupid things happening has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with Sept 11. At least here in America memories are short.

 

[Wahoo]

The bunch on the right look like they're snorting lines of coke to me! 😛

I did notice that but didn't want to mention it 😀 It's little wonder that they don't want to be photographed ?

Keith, if you notice the officer seventh from the left (almost facing the camera) he looks like one of your pals in his part time job - Ian Botham, he lives a few miles down the road in Richmond, N.Yorks.

 

[icebear]

I wasn't arrested when I took this one 😀 :

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=93733&ppuser=6650