Just had a note from the door from Cambridge Police...for taking photographs!

puddleduck

puddleduck

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Andy Drake
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You couldn't make it up.

Just got a very cryptic note pushed through my door, asking me to quote an incident number... I wandered over to the Police Station and was asked to take seat.

A few minutes later a WPC asked me to go into an incident room (I'm still non the wiser what this is about at this stage).

Anyhow, the WPC was very apologetic.. Apparently a neighbour had complained I was taking photos in my street :lol:

I did ask her why on earth they called the Police when they could have just come up and asked me. Although I didn't need to I explained when I bought a lens, I had a couple of test targets (street sign over the road, and my neighbours car) and that was why I was. 5 minutes later I was on my way.

Still amazed someone would file an incident over this (yes there is an incident number associated with this). I actually had an officer banging on my door at 10pm last night about this (I don't answer the door at night..)

Very very very odd!!
 
i'm afraid it speaks volumes about the kind of country we're now living in
 
FFS......:thumbsdown:

WTF is wrong with people? I suppose they have listened to all the terrorist adverts on the radio at the moment.
 
Baffles me why the police did not tell the neighbour that its perfectly legal to take a photograph in the street.:shrug:

Think i will make a complaint that my neighbour is walking down the street:cool:
 
I am affraid it is just a product of our media hyped, broken Britian where around every corner there is a terrorist, pedophile or mad mad. Of course the neighbour should have approached you first but he/she was probably to scared incase you beat her to death with your camera or strangled them with your shoulder strap. Unfortunately I can't see it gettign any better in the near future.
 
Another example of how the media have conditioned people to believe that photography is just plain wrong.

Are you going to attempt to re-educate said neighbour or did you ask the Police to inform him of the laws in this country?
 
Where do you live in Cam Andy? I feel the need to brush up on my street photography and have a feeling your road might suit me nicely.
 
Doesn't surprise me, Cambridge is full of curtain twitchers


Only joking, Ploddles sums it up quite succinctly I think.
 
Briony said:
It was April 1st yesterday:shrug:
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I'm not kidding.



DSC09433.jpg


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This all happened within the last hour.
 
Ring the Daily Mail they will love it:)
 
hi there.

we have scramble bikes and horses ripping up our private land and have had money stolen from our bank accounts and the police just don't want to know, now I know they are out following up on stupid complaints like this....

Ben.
 
LOL just how many TP'ers can you get taking ambiguous street photo's at the same time?

Do you think we could compile a full 360 degree view if there were enough of us?
 
Complain to the Police about your neighbour wasting police time and see if they take that up for you.
 
Truly gobsmacked.

Still don't understand why the police felt they had to follow it up? One of my neighbours is elderly and can't get out much. She spends the day sat looking out her window at the world going by - maybe I should report her?

But, more amazing is that the neighbour thought this was worthwhile. Very strange. Last time I was in Cambs (Wednesday) it didn't appear to be a major hotbed of crime.
 
I bet Amateur Photographer magazine would love this story! They have been running a campaign to protect the rights of photographers.
 
Well, I don't mean to laugh at your expense Andy, but this thread has brightened up my rather dull morning at work no end. PMSL! :lol:
 
A sad reflection of the world we live in, but would haver thought that the police could have dealt with this very quickly by informing complainant that no crime or misdemeanour had been committed and thus no further action would be taken unless a formal complaint was registered.
 
Why oh Why did they waste thier time and yours even following this up !!!

Why didn't they tell the complaint that it isn't illegal and leave it there? Now the nieghbour will think that IT IS illegal as the Police reacted.

I dare you to go out today and take some more pictures of your street ;)
 
Might just be the rebelious side of me but I'd try and find out which one reported this to the police and make a point of tasking loads of images to wind them up, then if they say anything tell to.............."Insert own expletive"
 
Ludicrous nonsense - what a waste of time & (public) money! :(

Another crime or incident investigated & solved......+1 for the bean counters.
 
next time wear a hi-viz jacket with Google writting on it ..they seem to get away with it it's a sad state of affairs though,,
 
DrRusty said:
Why oh Why did they waste thier time and yours even following this up !!!

Why didn't they tell the complaint that it isn't illegal and leave it there? Now the nieghbour will think that IT IS illegal as the Police reacted.

I dare you to go out today and take some more pictures of your street ;)
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Unfortunately, some time ago, people decided that police officers were exercising too much discretion and ignoring their complaints. As a result, we got the National Crime Recording Standards, "Ethical Crime Recording", the Policing Pledge, and so on and so forth. What it essentially boils down to is that the police are obliged to bottom out almost every complaint or report made to them, however spurious or nonsensical. If we don't, and the original informant complains about a lack of action, we end up facing disciplinary action.
 
Briony said:
:lol::lol: I think it is funny would get straight on to the local TV news.
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What is even more funny is that when I asked why the someone was bashing hell out of my door last night at nearly 10pm, the WPC said they thought someone deaf might live there..! :lol:
 
This may well be funny but on the serious side this could be an indication, that people are getting fed up with invasion of privacy. For example the constant invasive phone calls, the numerous invasive surveillance cameras, the personally invasive form filling and the changes in law that protect the minority not the majority.

I think the public are getting fed up and taking it out on any Tom, Dick and Photographer.
 
puddleduck said:
What is even more funny is that when I asked why the someone was bashing hell out of my door last night at nearly 10pm, the WPC said they thought someone deaf might live there..! :lol:
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:lol::lol::lol::lol:

:clap::clap:

Funniest thing I've heard all week!!!!
 
Photo Plod said:
Unfortunately, some time ago, people decided that police officers were exercising too much discretion and ignoring their complaints. As a result, we got the National Crime Recording Standards, "Ethical Crime Recording", the Policing Pledge, and so on and so forth. What it essentially boils down to is that the police are obliged to bottom out almost every complaint or report made to them, however spurious or nonsensical. If we don't, and the original informant complains about a lack of action, we end up facing disciplinary action.
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You mean you were allowed to, dare I say it, think for yourselves?! I'm not surprised that had a stop put to it :bang: :D Better to replace the thought process with a few more papers, guidelines, and a committee or 2 ;)

To the OP, having said that, at least they sent you a 'with compliments' slip, rather than smashing the door down and carting you out in handcuffs! I think the nature of how you were told shows that the people in charge of the 'incident' knew that it wasn't serious, but had to follow it though due to all the bureaucratic nonsense! That's how I see it anyway!
 
I guess all these little incidents will all add up to the point people
say "f-it" and sell thier kit or stick to "indoor" stuff. I've been stopped by the police (for taking gpictures of a roundabout :cuckoo:)

Hell go would get less stares picking up a porn mag off the shelves than a photography mag:naughty:
 
puddleduck said:
when I asked why the someone was bashing hell out of my door last night at nearly 10pm, the WPC said they thought someone deaf might live there..! :lol:
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Oh jeez, now I am crying! :lol:
 
When will they wake up, the police & public, Goggle & MS have taken pictures of everyone's property & plastered it for all terrorist to use. Funny a few years back the local council were taking images of most peoples property for rating purposes and made sure everyone knew it wasnt against the law
 
:eek: A while back, we had a surveyor come to inspect our gable. I must report him post haste! :lol:
Next time, tell the neighbours you suspect the whole street may be suffering from subsidence but you're ok because you have photographic evidence! ;)
 
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