cops on cameras - again

[John Wilson]

2009/7/22 Brian L Johnson <brian at thejohnsons.co.uk>:
> Chris Edwards <chris-ukcrypto at lists.skipnote.org> wrote:
[snip]

> That case (and this http://is.gd/1HAvT- ) illustrate Roland's earlier point
> quite neatly in that the persons 'detained' were taking photos of
> plain-clothes officers.

The person in the second case took a photograph of a uniformed WPC. He
had been stopped by two men who were not Police Officers or PCSOs (I
presume they were Accredited Person under the Community Safety
Accreditation Scheme, but it's not completely clear from the account).

In this case the police did not claim that it was illegal to
photograph police officers but that in this case taking a photograph
was "unlawful obstruction". They claim they detained him under s44. It
seems to me to be under trained and flustered police officers making
it up as they go along. Kent and Medway Police have voluntarily
referred the case to the IPCC.

The guy had a second encounter in the same place
http://monaxle.com/2009/07/20/the-primary-concern-is-always-the-safety-of-the-public-do-you-find-that-reassuring/

A mass photo walk is planned in the area on 15th August.


John Wilson