Monday, 7 January 2013

Hey, If Even You Don't Know The Law...

A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said: 'We have received no complaint in relation to this incident.
'We have passed on the footage and will look into the matter.
'In general terms, the police have no powers to stop the public filming or taking photographs, but this can very much depend on the circumstances.'
But they were unavailable to comment on what these circumstances may be.
It seems the police are recruiting people who are incapable of following direct orders:
In 2010 a letter was circulated by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) that confirmed the public have 'no powers' to stop the public filming them.
The letter, draughted by David McCall, assistant chief constable for British Transport Police, reads: 'I seek your support in reminding your officers and staff that they should not prevent anyone from taking photographs in public.
'There are no powers prohibiting the taking of photographs, film or digital images in public places.
'Therefore members of the public and press should not be prevented from doing so.
'Once an image has been recorded, the police have no power to delete or confiscate it.'
We constantly hear - from sites like Insp Gadget - how out of touch the top brass are, how they have no idea of life on the front line, etc. It seems some have decided to therefore pay as little attention to them as they do to the wishes of the general public.

I wonder how long I'd hold my job, should I decide that I knew better than those paying my wages?
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7 comments:

  1. Disenfranchised of Buckingham7 January 2013 at 13:12

    Things don't change. As my Dad was fond of quoting to me in the 60s:

    There is one rule for you, one rule for me and one rule for the Surrey Constabulary.

    The only difference now is the police no longer pretend to be on our side.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bill7 January 2013 at 13:26

    As much as DM likes to make a story out of nothing, there does seem to be a problem with the Police stopping people filming them.

    Not that idiots getting in the way of them doing their job shouldn't be dealt with but if they are no interfering let them crack on.

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  3. MTG7 January 2013 at 13:58

    "We constantly hear - from sites like Insp Gadget - how out of touch the top brass are, how they have no idea of life on the front line, etc. It seems some have decided to therefore pay as little attention to them as they do to the wishes of the general public."

    A few years ago, in the days when citizens were permitted the odd comment on Gadget's notorious blog, there were warnings of consequences arising from police malfeasance, laziness and incompetence, bringing them into serious disrepute.

    Gadget's response was to ridicule fears of an impending backlash and a predicted cull. Such contempt extended to altering/deleting comments or substituting spurious and foul-mouthed rants for civil ones.

    The relationship between police and public has degraded to a point where a reasonable reassessment must include the real risk of UK police being shot or 'shanked' for no other reason than making a public appearance in a dark, despised and scruffy uniform.

    These manifestations are now certain to make a defining debut in their pivotal contribution to British politics.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dave Allison7 January 2013 at 16:31

    Snaps of me abusing cops can be seen at
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9iVstsgdNs

    but they grabbed me first.

    ReplyDelete
  5. blueknight7 January 2013 at 20:24

    You are correct, but as far as policing and the law goes, England and Wales is one thing and Scotland is a foreign country.

    ReplyDelete
  6. selsey.steve7 January 2013 at 20:38

    I am a retired Police Officer (Chief Inspector) and I would have up the male officer in the first clip shown on the link for being a) aggressive, b) incompetent and c) ignorant of the Law.
    The female officer in the second clip on the link I would have up for the unlawful use of her baton. There was absolutely no need for her to strike the legs of the person being dealt with. She smashed the camera in an attempt to destroy that evidence.
    And, yes, I an usually on the side of the Police!

    ReplyDelete
  7. JuliaM8 January 2013 at 05:38

    "The only difference now is the police no longer pretend to be on our side."

    Spot on!

    "...but as far as policing and the law goes, England and Wales is one thing and Scotland is a foreign country."

    Yes, but this determination to break own guidelines seems common both sides of the border.

    "And, yes, I an usually on the side of the Police!"

    So am I!

    ReplyDelete