Lase
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 13
- Edit My Images
- No
Firstly, be brave.
The Policy officer is a revenue collector first and foremost. They will try and enforce an act upon you, said act is Section 44 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Acts are very different to laws in that they are an offer of contract, so in short don't contract with the offer. For more information regarding how to tackle this procedure I would suggest TPUC.org, which is where the man featured learned his methods of conduct in this kind of situation I'm told.
Two things I would suggest. If you're using your camera in urban areas It's essential to have a video camera on you or at the very least a Dictaphone. You can buy these reasonably cheaply online disguised as pens, as recoding the policy officer without their knowledge can sometimes be to your advantage. And secondly, once you've managed to get footage or audio of the harassment, contact Paul Lewis who specifically concentrates on this kind of story :
paul.lewis@guardian.co.uk
Whats of primary importance in what you're about to watch, is that the photographer claimed "I do not stand under your authority. I do not understand" when the policy officer asked if he understood why he was being arrested.
The sterling Paul Lewis from the Guardian again publishes a story concentrating on this silly legislation designed to keep everyone, particularly the photographer in fear.
Luckily, this man filmed all the relative bits from his encounters, and it provides an essential lesson in base interaction techniques when these peculiar people try to intimidate you. It worked, besause he was released without charge and he's managed to burn Lancashire Constabulary PLC's fingers as a result of his treatment. This is something we should all be prepared and equiped to do, for ourselves and for each other.
We mustn't be afraid of being arrested.
[YOUTUBE]yKlnm1-976g[/YOUTUBE]
Man held in police station for eight hours after taking pictures of Christmas celebrations in Accrington, Lancashire.
Police questioned an amateur photographer under anti-terrorist legislation and later arrested him, claiming pictures he was taking in a Lancashire town were "suspicious" and constituted "antisocial behaviour".
Footage recorded on a video camera by Bob Patefield, a former paramedic, shows how police approached him and a fellow photography enthusiast in Accrington town centre. They were told they were being questioned under the Terrorism Act.
Senior police officers last year promised to scale back the use of anti-terrorist legislation such as Section 44 of the act, which deals with photographers, after a series of high-profile cases in which photographers said they had been harassed by police for taking innocuous images in the street.
Patefield and his friend declined to give their details, as they are entitled to under the act. The police then appeared to change tack, saying the way the men were taking images constituted "antisocial behaviour". Patefield, who is in his 40s, was stopped three times before finally being arrested.
He and his friend were taking photographs of Christmas festivities on 19 December, after attending a photography exhibition. The last images on his camera before he was stopped show a picture of a Santa Claus, people in fancy dress and a pipe band marching through the town.
He turned on his video camera the moment he was approached by a police community support officer (PCSO). In the footage, she said: "Because of the Terrorism Act and everything in the country, we need to get everyone's details who is taking pictures of the town."
Patefield declined to give his details and, after asking if he was free to go, walked away. However the PCSO and a police officer stopped the men in another part of the town. This time, the police officer repeatedly asked him to stop filming her and said his photography was "suspicious" and "possibly antisocial".
Patefield asked if the officer had any "reasonable, articulable suspicion" to justify him giving his details.
She replied: "I believe your behaviour was quite suspicious in the manner in which you were taking photographs in the town centre I'm suspicious in why you were taking those pictures.
"I'm an officer of the law, and I'm requiring you, because I believe your behaviour to be of a suspicious nature, and of possibly antisocial [nature] I can take your details just to ascertain that everything is OK."
Patefield and his friend maintained that they did not want to disclose their details. They were stopped a third and final time when returning to their car. This time the officer was accompanied by an acting sergeant. "Under law, fine, we can ask for your details we've got no powers," he said. "However, due to the fact that we believe you were involved in antisocial behaviour, ie taking photographs then we do have a power under [the Police Reform Act] to ask for your name and address, and for you to provide it. If you don't, then you may be arrested."
There is a section of that act that compels a member of the public to give their details if a police officer suspects them of antisocial activity.
The sergeant also alluded to complaints from the public and, turning to Patefield, added: "I'm led to believe you've got a bit of insight into the law. Do you work in the field?"
Patefield was arrested for refusing to give his details, while his friend, who gave in, walked free. Patefield was held for eight hours and released without charge.
In a statement, Lancashire police said they and members of the public were "concerned about the way in which [Patefield] was using his camera". It said police felt they had "no choice" but to arrest him because he was refusing to co-operate.
Link to Guardian Article : http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/21/photographer-films-anti-terror-arrest
The Policy officer is a revenue collector first and foremost. They will try and enforce an act upon you, said act is Section 44 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Acts are very different to laws in that they are an offer of contract, so in short don't contract with the offer. For more information regarding how to tackle this procedure I would suggest TPUC.org, which is where the man featured learned his methods of conduct in this kind of situation I'm told.
Two things I would suggest. If you're using your camera in urban areas It's essential to have a video camera on you or at the very least a Dictaphone. You can buy these reasonably cheaply online disguised as pens, as recoding the policy officer without their knowledge can sometimes be to your advantage. And secondly, once you've managed to get footage or audio of the harassment, contact Paul Lewis who specifically concentrates on this kind of story :
paul.lewis@guardian.co.uk
Whats of primary importance in what you're about to watch, is that the photographer claimed "I do not stand under your authority. I do not understand" when the policy officer asked if he understood why he was being arrested.
The sterling Paul Lewis from the Guardian again publishes a story concentrating on this silly legislation designed to keep everyone, particularly the photographer in fear.
Luckily, this man filmed all the relative bits from his encounters, and it provides an essential lesson in base interaction techniques when these peculiar people try to intimidate you. It worked, besause he was released without charge and he's managed to burn Lancashire Constabulary PLC's fingers as a result of his treatment. This is something we should all be prepared and equiped to do, for ourselves and for each other.
We mustn't be afraid of being arrested.
[YOUTUBE]yKlnm1-976g[/YOUTUBE]
Man held in police station for eight hours after taking pictures of Christmas celebrations in Accrington, Lancashire.
Police questioned an amateur photographer under anti-terrorist legislation and later arrested him, claiming pictures he was taking in a Lancashire town were "suspicious" and constituted "antisocial behaviour".
Footage recorded on a video camera by Bob Patefield, a former paramedic, shows how police approached him and a fellow photography enthusiast in Accrington town centre. They were told they were being questioned under the Terrorism Act.
Senior police officers last year promised to scale back the use of anti-terrorist legislation such as Section 44 of the act, which deals with photographers, after a series of high-profile cases in which photographers said they had been harassed by police for taking innocuous images in the street.
Patefield and his friend declined to give their details, as they are entitled to under the act. The police then appeared to change tack, saying the way the men were taking images constituted "antisocial behaviour". Patefield, who is in his 40s, was stopped three times before finally being arrested.
He and his friend were taking photographs of Christmas festivities on 19 December, after attending a photography exhibition. The last images on his camera before he was stopped show a picture of a Santa Claus, people in fancy dress and a pipe band marching through the town.
He turned on his video camera the moment he was approached by a police community support officer (PCSO). In the footage, she said: "Because of the Terrorism Act and everything in the country, we need to get everyone's details who is taking pictures of the town."
Patefield declined to give his details and, after asking if he was free to go, walked away. However the PCSO and a police officer stopped the men in another part of the town. This time, the police officer repeatedly asked him to stop filming her and said his photography was "suspicious" and "possibly antisocial".
Patefield asked if the officer had any "reasonable, articulable suspicion" to justify him giving his details.
She replied: "I believe your behaviour was quite suspicious in the manner in which you were taking photographs in the town centre I'm suspicious in why you were taking those pictures.
"I'm an officer of the law, and I'm requiring you, because I believe your behaviour to be of a suspicious nature, and of possibly antisocial [nature] I can take your details just to ascertain that everything is OK."
Patefield and his friend maintained that they did not want to disclose their details. They were stopped a third and final time when returning to their car. This time the officer was accompanied by an acting sergeant. "Under law, fine, we can ask for your details we've got no powers," he said. "However, due to the fact that we believe you were involved in antisocial behaviour, ie taking photographs then we do have a power under [the Police Reform Act] to ask for your name and address, and for you to provide it. If you don't, then you may be arrested."
There is a section of that act that compels a member of the public to give their details if a police officer suspects them of antisocial activity.
The sergeant also alluded to complaints from the public and, turning to Patefield, added: "I'm led to believe you've got a bit of insight into the law. Do you work in the field?"
Patefield was arrested for refusing to give his details, while his friend, who gave in, walked free. Patefield was held for eight hours and released without charge.
In a statement, Lancashire police said they and members of the public were "concerned about the way in which [Patefield] was using his camera". It said police felt they had "no choice" but to arrest him because he was refusing to co-operate.
Link to Guardian Article : http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/21/photographer-films-anti-terror-arrest
