From: Indymedia UK
Subject: question re civil cam cops
hi tash, quick question re police surveillance camera operatives:
Last night several police officers from the Public Order Intelligence Unit, Scotland Yard, mounted an hour+ surveillance and intimidation operation outside of LARC (the London Activist resource Centre) in whitechappel, London.
An extra individual wearing a “POLICE” jacket with standard issue police camera
(+large flash bowl) took tons of pictures of people arriving at LARC or just passing by, inc. local residents.
People noted down a couple of their numbers…
But when it came to the chap with the camera, he said “Unlucky!” when someone looked for his number on his shoulder, and another officer said he was “a civillain photographer employed by the police”. They refused to answer any other questions about him inc. the question of whether he was therefore entitled to wear a police uniform jacket with the word “POLICE” on it, and whether that might constitute impersonating a police officer or not.
So…
essentially the question is – d’you know if this is standard practice? were they telling lies? or is this something they do because of some kind of loophole in the law or something?
Any feedback or explanations you might have would be appreciated, since this is the first time I have heard this line from the police, while others tell me this is a response they get often in these situations.
I’m very curious about this. regards,
1 of imc uk volunteers
www.indymedia.org.uk
So, I said the following by reply …….
Hello mr subversive…..
Yep, sounds like a ‘civilian staff’ man. I see adverts and articles for these jobs from time to time in the British Journal of Photography and Police Review. You need less qualification that I have got. Have applied a couple of times for the giggle, but no, they don’t like my CV.
The job description is basically forensics, ‘scenes of crime’, press office stuff and surveillance in public places. Not the ‘secret squirrel’ stuff that might be dangerous and undercover. That is still done be Detective Constables. Or, in riot situations, there are insurance reasons why that I done by uniformed police in ‘protective clothing’.
You are right to equate ‘surveillance and intimidation operations’ since one does lead to the other, and when done overtly, they know it!
But this is the layout of the law. Free society etc ….. in that it is allowed to take photographs of people in a public place. It is the basis on how :
* they get to photograph people, just in case, without evidence of wrongdoing.
* How the press get to carry on. [within the codes]
* How I [and video type folks] get to photograph them on operations!
The police jacket is a little more problematic though. Generally, when I’ve seen these chaps gadding about at a scene, they have ‘Photographer’ in large white letters [capital, helvetica] , over blue background rectangle, on the yellow jacket. Officers tend to have ‘Evidence Gatherer’ as their label.
Not likely to succeed with ‘impersonating a police officer’. Since in the company of police officers. It might be he’d left his ‘proper jacket’ at home, and had borrowed one! Or, that is just how its done in London now.
Anyway, if your into the trouble. I would do one of three things, or all.
* Take the photo or video you’ve got of the gezzer to solicitor on legal aid work, or even citizens advice for a bit of research around it. Then with a view to complaint. As I understand it you don’t have a complaint. It just that I takes a great deal of police time, exchange of papers etc., and sometimes things ‘bubble up’, while investigating the circumstances. See what I mean …
* Make a complaint directly to the police, quoting the numbers you do have for witnesses, and accuse the geezer you about here, of not identify himself after you’ve had ‘dealings’ with him, in the street. As I understand it, police ‘must’ identify themselves if asked to do so. His jacket says he was police … so there is trouble to be had there!
* AND get as many individuals from the event as you can to get £10 together, and apply for the video, photographs and CCTV? Under the Data Protection Act. [done this a few times now, and they hate it!] . Wont help you identify this chap, just winds them up and being on their case.
Oh, the other explanation is that he is a ‘real one’ from the intelligence services and that you really are suspected of some dark deeds. [you may feel honoured to attract such attention] .
Hope some of this explains. Do cause time wasting trouble back. Makes all feel better, than just being victims eh?
