A police force has apologised after an officer prevented a journalist from taking photographs of a road collision.
Freelance journalist Mark Patterson complained to Nottinghamshire Police after being told to stop taking photos last week by a PCSO.
The force has sent out advice to officers about their powers following the incident and has also been working with the National Union of Journalists to refresh its guidance on dealing with people taking photos in public spaces.
Mark told Press Gazette that he was taking photos of the scene of a road collision with his phone on 23 March when the PCSO told him to stop.
He said a work experience journalist from the Nottingham Post was also prevented from taking pictures, despite explaining he was from the press.
Mark then complained to the force’s Professional Standards Directorate, saying that all spectators were stood outside the police tape and he regarded the collision as being in the public interest.
He sent the three photos he had taken to the Nottingham Post, which published one of them.
Donna Jordan, Nottinghamshire Police’s media services manager, said: “We have been liaising with the National Union of Journalists to refresh guidance, in conjunction with national best practice, for officers and staff working for the police, particularly when it comes to dealing with journalists and people taking photographs in public spaces.
“We also carry out media training with our officers and staff to encourage a good working relationship between the force and the media, and are keen that this continues.
“We apologise on this occasion for any inconvenience caused to the freelance journalist.”
She added that a sergeant had spoken to the officer involved in the incident.
The advice circulated throughout the force reminds police officers that they do not have the power to stop members of the public taking photographs of incidents that police are attending.
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Oh come on boys, toughen up. On my way home, I took a pic of an ambulance that had come off the road and demolished a road sign. I was standing in the middle of a public road (no traffic) and a PCSO told me to stop. I told her the last time I looked this was a free country, I was on public property, I can take as many pictures as I want and anyway (not that it mattered) I was editor of the local paper. She went away – nothing she can do. She can’t even nick you. PCSOs are not going to have any grasp of the law and you can’t expect them to. Don’t let them push you around. Just stand by your rights and get on with it.
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A ‘trained’ press photographer would have known their rights and continued photographing. Not many of those left these days however. Mobile phone, work experience, says it all.
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…all spectators were stood ?????
And onlookers, surely.
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A real cop told me at a crash I could not snap the area because it was a “crime scene”. I asked him how he knew a crime had been committed at this early stage and carried on. I got a niggling complaint from cops but it all washed over. Most often it is pure ignorance, though on this occasion the “workie” seems to have been uninformed, which does not surprise me because training in offices is pretty near non-existent nowadays. Snap it or scribble it and straight in paper!!
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Has this freelance journalist had any training or have any common sense. A PCSO can only call the police, that’s why they are known a battery burners as they have no powers. Also a police officer told me to stop taking photos, I said you’ll have to move the cordon then, he walked away. The story here is a journalist who doesn’t have a clue.
Hang on, it’s April 1st, you got me HTFP, suckered in,
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This happened to one of my photographers about 7 years ago in Hackney. They even confiscated his camera and then looked silly when they had to apologise to him on the orders of the borough commander later that day.
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Happened to a former colleague once when he took a picture of coppers arresting someone on a public street, one of the plod said he was going to ‘seize the camera for evidence’ but was told in no uncertain terms the shots belonged to the company and his chief inspector would have to write in.
Disturbing how many coppers don’t seem to understand the law. One would think it’d be a basic requirement.
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A copper came on all heavy as I snapped photo of car which mounted a pavement and knocked somebody over (minor injuries). I was behind the police tape, not interfering, and no bodies in sight. I told him, politely but firmly that I was perfectly within my rights to take photographs in a public place and warned him that if he even hinted at deleting the photographs I would take it to the chief constable. He walked away grumbling, and didn’t come back for seconds!
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Years ago I was sent to the police station to copy a picture of a murder victim.
It was in a frame so I told the officer that I would need to remove it from the frame to take a quality picture he told me not to but I did anyway and found a better picture of the victim behind the one he wanted copied. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.
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Remember a PCSO telling me I couldn’t photograph, so I asked her to smile so I could take one of her. Told her I’d speak to a senior officer to discuss her concerns. Was quite funny to see her walking to speak to one only to be told she was barking up the wrong tree.
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