I have taken photographs from my front room of dangerous and illegal scooter / mini-moto / motorbike use on the road outside my house. Apparently someone complained about me doing this to the police, and I was interviewed aggressively for more than half an hour, and received two follow up visits from the police. On asking the police why they took any notice of someone complaining about perfectly legal and reasonable behaviour I got the response: “We respond to all calls”, this was a lie, as was confirmed on the Andy Harper Show on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire during September when the control room inspector at Hinchingbrooke was interviewed and a question on this point was put to him. The police officer who visited me also stated, on the 2nd of April 2007: “You might have to go to court to explain why you’ve taken a photograph.”

I have asked the Chief Constable about this on BBC Radio Cambridge, and she expressed her support for members of the public photographing, and even videoing anti-social behaviour by youths, stating that showing such images to their parents can be a very effective way of putting a stop to the problem.

Cambridge City Council have an anti-social behaviour team who also support people taking photographs of anti-social behaviour. I have asked them to deal with the inconstant policy between them and those (other than the Chief Constable) in the police. The only response I have received relates to the admissibility of such photographs in court which was not what I was asking about, the reply indicated that this was the police’s response to the council raising the question with the Sector Inspector.

I would like the police and control room to be educated on the fact that that taking photographs in public (with a few exceptions such as outside courts) is acceptable in Cambridgeshire, like the rest of the UK.

What I have experienced occurs elsewhere in the UK:

“The BBC Talkback programme provoked a response yesterday with its story about an East Belfast minister whose church was under siege from attacks by children. After waiting for the police to respond, the Reverend Charles McCartney took action himself by taking photos of the youngsters he believed were responsible. But instead of being commended for gathering evidence, the minister ended up being warned by the police about the dangers of taking photos of children.”

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markdevenport/2007/09/rights_and_responsibilities.html)

What has happened to the police to cause them to invoke this kind of response? Are they taking political correctness to an absurd level? Are paedophiles taking photographs of young vandals and moped riders? Are the police no-longer free to exercise common sense?

On a related, but separate point I believe it is particularly important that the police don’t try and stop members of the public photographing them on duty / in action when the public think they’re doing something wrong. I’ve had a PCSO tell me that she was “forbidding me” from taking her photograph.

Update: I have since learnt at a number of public meetings that the police deterring people from taking photographs / video of crime is common. People in North Cambridge are being told to ensure their CCTV cameras don’t cover the street. I feel the police don’t want people taking photographs of lawlessness in the area and being able to demonstrate what a poor job they are doing.