Photographer questioned by Police

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Dave Stone

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I heard on the news yesterday that a amateur photographer had been arrested in Portsmouth under anti terrorism laws. I can't seem to find it on the web anywhere. He had taken a photo of a Police car parked in a bus stop! While the Police say they were correct in their actons as it was a security threat an MP (who's name escapes me) has jumped to his defence. Does this make every photo of a police car a security threat?:bonk:

If anyone can find a link to the story I would be interested or if this has already been posted on here feel free to ignor.
 
Is it illegal to draw things? Could you draw pictures of your children on slide without raising suspicion? All the terrorists and p***'s will have to attend art classes :D
 
Were the cops parked there within the official remit of an investigation etc. It seems not if they could change their focus to the tog so quickly. Perhaps they were just visiting someone? As such, they would then have known that they'd parked illegally & were trying the "heavy handed" approach to get the photog to delete & appologise, thus covering up up a potential crime.
That's defeating the ends of justice....... albeit very subtly.
Wonder when they'll start demanding DNA swabs from "questioned" togs.
 
Proglam said:
Were the cops parked there within the official remit of an investigation etc. It seems not if they could change their focus to the tog so quickly. Perhaps they were just visiting someone? As such, they would then have known that they'd parked illegally & were trying the "heavy handed" approach to get the photog to delete & appologise, thus covering up up a potential crime.
That's defeating the ends of justice....... albeit very subtly.
Wonder when they'll start demanding DNA swabs from "questioned" togs.
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From what I remember in the Metro, they were there on a callout for a domestic incident and there was nowhere else to park. Paper said that it was not illegal for them to be parked there. Apparantly the local MP was not concerned that they had parked there, but was more concerned about them using the terrorism law to question the tog, so it sounds as if at least one MP has a bit of common sense!!
 
Proglam said:
Were the cops parked there within the official remit of an investigation etc. It seems not if they could change their focus to the tog so quickly. Perhaps they were just visiting someone? As such, they would then have known that they'd parked illegally & were trying the "heavy handed" approach to get the photog to delete & appologise, thus covering up up a potential crime.
That's defeating the ends of justice....... albeit very subtly.
Wonder when they'll start demanding DNA swabs from "questioned" togs.
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You cannot park a police car illegally! Police vehicles are exempt from on street parking regulations.

Also it is quite reasonable to park a police car on dbl yellows etc whilst doing something else. Rather than find somewhere legal to park, walk quarter of a mile and THEN get an emergency shout. Officer then has to spend 2 minutes extra running back to the car to make to the shout.
 
"The act states that 'this power can only be used for the purposes of searching for articles of a kind which could be used in connection with terrorism, and may be exercised whether or not the constable has grounds for suspecting the presence of articles of that kind'."


It's this part that worries me. It does not make sense; if the constable doesn't suspect that you have something he can still search you? Why would he search you if he doesn't suspect you of having something? :shrug::cuckoo:
 
Baz777 said:
This is just getting ridiculous

We should have a massive TP meet, 1000’s of us, and pick one police station to photograph, see what happens!
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I'm up for that one.. would be so much fun :lol:
 
Baz777 said:
This is just getting ridiculous

We should have a massive TP meet, 1000’s of us, and pick one police station to photograph, see what happens!
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This is incitement to commit a terrorist act, you will be getting a visit shortly :bonk:
 
gman said:
"The act states that 'this power can only be used for the purposes of searching for articles of a kind which could be used in connection with terrorism, and may be exercised whether or not the constable has grounds for suspecting the presence of articles of that kind'."


It's this part that worries me. It does not make sense; if the constable doesn't suspect that you have something he can still search you? Why would he search you if he doesn't suspect you of having something? :shrug::cuckoo:
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Because terrorists try and blend in so as not to create that suspicion. I have no problem with this. I would rather get searched that blown up!
 
We went on a photography trip, about 50 students, to London.
Me and a friend thought it would be funny to get in trouble with the Police for taking photos. Especially as it was a college trip.
So we went out on a mission to take as many photos of the police as we could.

None of them minded, and most of them posed! :shrug:

Possibly because we're a couple of photography students.
 
foodpoison said:
We went on a photography trip, about 50 students, to London.
Me and a friend thought it would be funny to get in trouble with the Police.
So we went out on a mission to take as many photos of the police as we could.

None of them minded, and most of them posed! :shrug:

Possibly because we're a couple of photography students.
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Also the plice in london are photographed by tourists all the time :shrug:
 
Yeah I don't mind being questioned by the police either. It's better to be extra vigilant than to get blown up.

What I don't like is that it's simply ridiculous.
If you were a terrorist and you wanted to get photos of a government building, there are 5 much more conspicuous ways of doing so than standing outside with a digital SLR:
1 - Get a compact camera - Smaller, more conspicuous, look just like a tourist
2 - A phone camera - phone cameras nowadays are very good, and can produce very reasonable pictures
3 - Get a van, a full frame camera, and a telephoto lens - You'll get the best image quality possible, without getting caught or even seen
4 - Go on google images and find a photo of it - You can do this from home so you don't even need to venture outside!
5 - Google earth - will provide you a bird's eye view of the building, again, meaning not only do you not even have to go outside, but you don't have to rent a helicopter/airplane to get a top down shot!
 
foodpoison said:
You see all these stories about how angry the coppers get when you photograph them, but I've never seen anything like that!
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I suppose that the person taking the picture wasn't being an arse about it to the police officer! Would be interesting to see both sides of that arguement.
 
colinfret said:
I'm up for that one.. would be so much fun :lol:
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.. and this is conspiracy to commit a terrorist act, you will be getting a visit as soon as they have finished with BAZ :bonk:
 
The thing I find most worrying is that if you were taking a photograph of say one of the picturesque buildings in Canary Wharf and got questioned and taken away by police, can't you be potentially held for stupid amounts of time under the new terrorism laws?
 
Yes, if you were taken away I suppose you could be held for up to 42 days (!) under this prevention of terrorism law. Now that could be pretty devastating for any photographer, their job, their family etc.

ummm.

I suppose you just have to be careful out there, it's a different climate these days.
 
foodpoison said:
2 - A phone camera - phone cameras nowadays are very good, and can produce very reasonable pictures
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The person in the article did use the phone camera.

The problem with stories such as this one is that half the time you get the impression that the police are simply abusing their powers because they don't like what you've done rather because of a genuine concern about terrorist activity. Of course they'd never offer up any detailed response as to why a phone cam shot of a parked police car should cause suspicion of terrorist activity under the banner of security.

The truth is there are thousands of similar pictures online of which any would provide as much or as little information for a terrorist planning to end the world.
 
I used to read about aviation tog's (& some protestors) camping out around airbases etc. shooting incoming / outgoing flights for whatever reason. I guess as something of an aviation tog myself mostly these were just appreciation of aircraft etc. In US that is how the Stealth bomber was finally revealed. "Designed and built in the early 1980s at the Lockheed Skunk Works under conditions of intense secrecy, the F-117A Stealth fighter was not revealed to the public until 1990, after it had been in service for over 7 years." Wonder what the policy is on that now?
 
Proglam said:
.. the F-117A Stealth fighter was not revealed to the public until 1990, after it had been in service for over 7 years.
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That is an impressive bit of secret keeping!

If I remember back a few years (I might be wrong) the Lockead Blackbird was still officially secret even though it was the best card in the top trumps pack !!
 
cowasaki... that's absolutely correct.
Now.... food for thought… despite years of attempts by old SA govt, to control, limit & prevent info getting out to which may have bolstered terrorism efforts by the ANC (and this was before digital & mobiles) the info still got out (thanks to the likes of Bob Mogabe), as well as motion film & stills for use in the media in UK/Europe etc. for promoting the ANC, then still a terrorist org. (as per some)
At the same time coverage of what was happening here, England/ IRA issue was also getting out just as easily. The IRA then still a terrorist org. (as per some)
Today those same tog’s & info sharing spy’s are held as hero’s. We’re not seeing anything new at all. It’s just in some cases easier (such as on forums) for people to vent their opinions.
But in none of the instances, where various censorships on info etc. was blocked, did it make any difference to where or when a bomb was detonated.
I just do not see how partial censorship can make any difference.
You either stop everyone or nobody. You can’t be half pregnant & you can’t be half secure. You do a proper job or don’t bother at all. Half jobs just lead to general debates about what/ where the cut off is & that just leads to arguments & more dissatisfaction. If I can’t take a picture of a Bobby in London (without defined & effective reason/ result), one of the most recognisable tourist snap figures of all, then my freedom is eroded & the terrorists have already won.
 
cowasaki said:
You cannot park a police car illegally! Police vehicles are exempt from on street parking regulations.
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That's not strictly true. A marked Police vehicle will not be ticketed if parked on double yellow lines, however the driver of an unmarked police car has to prove that they were on official duty and the appeal against the ticket must be made by the officer's area superintendent or equivalent. It has to contain confirmation that the officer was on official business and that it was inappropriate for the vehicle to be parked elsewhere.

A police driver parking an unmarked police car outside a Police Station can also still receive a ticket as the vehicle is deemed to be parked at their place of work. :D

Also it is quite reasonable to park a police car on dbl yellows etc whilst doing something else. Rather than find somewhere legal to park, walk quarter of a mile and THEN get an emergency shout.
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Again this is not strictly true, as the vehicle still needs to be on official duty. They can't, for example, park on double yellow lines just to nip in and pick up their lunch.

Officer then has to spend 2 minutes extra running back to the car to make to the shout.
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A bit of exercise never hurt anyone ;)
 
Flash In The Pan said:
That's not strictly true. A marked Police vehicle will not be ticketed
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I'm talking about marked vehicle

Flash In The Pan said:
Again this is not strictly true, as the vehicle still needs to be on official duty. They can't, for example, park on double yellow lines just to nip in and pick up their lunch.
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The legislation does not specify that the officer has to be on official business so YES you can park outside the chip shop whilst you collect your refs! And they are still on duty and available for a shout anyway so they are on official business!

Flash In The Pan said:
A bit of exercise never hurt anyone ;)
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Other than the person who had to wait an extra couple of minutes because the traffic officer had to run a third of a mile to his car before making to the accident!
 
cowasaki said:
I'm talking about marked vehicle
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You say that now :lol:

Other than the person who had to wait an extra couple of minutes because the traffic officer had to run a third of a mile to his car before making to the accident!
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Or the person who had to wait an extra 2 minutes to be told that the spacing on his reg plate was slightly narrow or that the nose of his car was 2 inches over yellow line ;)
 
Flash In The Pan said:
You say that now :lol:



Or the person who had to wait an extra 2 minutes to be told that the spacing on his reg plate was slightly narrow or that the nose of his car was 2 inches over yellow line ;)
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Spacing is very important don't forget that... and don't get me started on the criminal abuse of our beloved yellow line scheme :rules:
 
Well, actually the spacing is important for the ANPR system to work, so that was a bad example:nono:
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Well, actually the spacing is important for the ANPR system to work, so that was a bad example:nono:
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I know, thats why there is such a big push at the moment to get people to behave themselves. The evil law breakers !
 
Hi
This morning, radio four, were reporting a story about a man prevented from parking his bike in London in case it was a bike bomb.

I have heard more about car bombs than bike bombs. It made me wonder, not if, but when.

David Davis made a lot of sense.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Again this is not strictly true, as the vehicle still needs to be on official duty. They can't, for example, park on double yellow lines just to nip in and pick up their lunch.
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Police regularly park cars & bikes on double yellow in one particular spot of Soho to get stand arouns & chew the fat over coffee from Bar Italia in Frith Street.

On a Friday night the Police used to turn a blind eye to all the local bikers parked there, until one of the bars complained. Now it's a "police only" parking bay.....

(not that I hold a grudge or anything.....)

And I think that should I get stopped by the Police I will be polite, but short, it's getting beyond a joke now....

Steve
 
Imagine that. Bicycle pipe bombs..... There goes the green innitiative.....

If they're gonna get you, they're gonna get you. Bicycle bomb, knife, gun or virus. Maybe even a WMD.
But good grief, we have to stop the politico's fueling the reduculous to gain votes. They want us focusing on this nonsence so we don't notice the real problems in health system, potholes in roads, unmown parks etc.
Can you imagine the amount of loot wasted on the some of the "health & safety" rot, that could be spent on real deliverables beneficial to the public.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Well, actually the spacing is important for the ANPR system to work, so that was a bad example:nono:
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cowasaki said:
I know, thats why there is such a big push at the moment to get people to behave themselves. The evil law breakers !
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Another complete load of bo****s. If I was a "law breaker" I'd make sure my car was 100% legal, anything else would be just stupid, and don't kid yourself, BIG criminals aren't stupid (greedy maybe, but not stupid).

I've had small plates on my bikes for years and never been fined. As long as it's reasonable (not a letter box plate) and you're taking the p1ss 99% of coppers don't care.

I got asked to remove an amber headlamp cover once, he wasn't worried about the full race system, my black visor, or my small plate, never even mentioned them.....

Sorry, I digress :rules:

Steve
 
foodpoison said:
If you were a terrorist and you wanted to get photos of a government building, there are 5 much more conspicuous ways of doing so than standing outside with a digital SLR:
Click to expand...

I walked all around the MI6 building in London taking photo's with a dirty big DSLR. Nothing happened, no one came and questioned me, i wasn't gunned down...

Then I went back inside :lol:
 
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