Photo by Garry Chinchen
Garry Chinchen, a photographer in England, was approached by police this week for taking photos of jet skiers in South Wales. He was told if he continued he would be arrested for “breach of peace.” All told, the officers checked his images, phoned his employer and ran his name through a database – to which I have only one response, huh?!! Where is the outrage in England? They aren’t just trampling on photographers’ rights; there are apparently no rights to begin with. Apparently the whole incident was touched off by the fact that children were changing into wet suits on the lake’s shore, but Chinchen’s photos are clearly of the jet skis in the water – and not even very close up at that.
The police spokesperson’s statement said in part, “‘The officer carried out all the necessary checks on this person and no offences were disclosed. The photographer was appropriately advised regarding his conduct.” Luckily that was sorted out.
Article via Amateur Photographer
There is no outrage as it appears someone reported him because they thought he may be taking photos of children.
The police here use the ‘breach of the peace law’ to arrest you for acts of stupidity that may incite trouble. Basically he was taking photos and yes on checking they were photos of just the jet skiers. But some paranoid/overly concerned parent called the police.
The police wishing for things to go easy will have advised him they will arrest him under the ‘BotP’ which they will do then once he is out of area normally de-arrest him and send him home.
The reason no outrage is that any one can see why it happened. Dont get me wrong had the police man actually arrested him with out questioning or giving an un-dually hard time half the press here would be outraged while half would be defending the police over suspected pedophile arrest.
The photographer, while doing no real wrong was not really thinking straight. When he started taking photos were small children might be captured in a society where pedophilia is more of a fear than terrorism. We’ve had terrorist threats for over fifty years they really don’t worry us that much.