Police in this Country are great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfQrDK9YHas

It's an offence to film the police! Or not...

No apology or anything. I won't even go into how they should be wearing their hats whilst out of the car, or how the female officer has her hands in her pockets...

What numpties those two people are, but they're not reflective of the police as a whole.

Very true, I would say the vast majority of the Police Officers that I have met have been courteous, respectful and professional. Unfortunately therea few down here that are none of those things, and I've noticed that the less rural the force is the worse it gets.

For example, I can't stand the Metropolitan Police, if only because most of their Officers have spoken to me in a manner which suggests they have less respect for me than what they just peeled off the bottom of their shoe.

EDIT: I also notice a lot of Met Police Officers don't wear their shoulder numbers, something to hide perhaps?

What a twat.

I'm sorry but if someone just started filming me, police officer or no, i'd wander over to them and ask them to stop.

I don't give a [LIFTED] about "it's a free country", "it's my right", "this is my property" etc.

They're just the buzzwords of the people who go out of their way to piss people off and then use the law to defend themselves when they know they're being an antisocial bastard.

Yeah the police were a bit stupid saying that it's an offence to film a police officer, but isn't it an offence to film someone without their knowledge? Or at least take photos of them... I know this much from school sports days ^_^

In a word no. In a public place you can film/photograph anyone you like. Only on private property do you need permission to photo (which is where the school comes in).

Either way, someone starts filming me in the street and i'll get pissed.

It's a free country - nothing to stop you killing them.

If France, it's illegal to take a photo of a burglar on your own property. Comes under the "invasion of privacy" law, which is the most perverted thing I've ever heard.

I have no doubt that most people would, although there's nothing legally that you can do about it.

Law has nothing to do with it, it's common sense and social behaviour..

It's legal to shoot a scotsman with a bow and arrow within the walls of York, but you wouldn't see me camped out on a wall with a full quiver and a set of binoculars would you?

People don't tend to make careers or hobbies out of murder, but photography is an art that is enjoyed by millions in this Country, both professionally and as a hobby.

I thought you can't display their faces, publicly, if they haven't signed a waiver?

So filming them, for personal showing would be fine, but if the film was shown on TV or uploaded onto the Internet, you'd have to blur out their faces and any recognisable logos etc. on their clothing, if you didn't get a waiver from them?

It is certainly the case in Germany, that, unless you have a waiver, you cannot publicly broadcast photos or film of people or company logos without permission.

For example, a lot of reality TV programmes have the logos on the sides of vehicles electronically scrubbed out, because they haven't got waivers or have been refused them, from the owners of the vehicle. Likewise, if the police stop somebody with a camera crew, they aren't allowed to show the faces of those questioned / arrested without their written permission.

I find it annoying, why show the fugging footage if you can't show the peoples faces? The blurring hurts my eyes, which makes it doubly annoying.

Schools can have security cameras, but you need permission to film the kids, child protection, nothing to do with private property....

I'll say again what I've said before. Stick someone a notch above everyone else (or the illusion that you are doing so, and expect them to act as such. Remember PE teachers...

I think the answer to all the above questions is an unqualified "depends". Sometimes taking a picture in the UK in a public place or on private ground is legal and sometimes it's not. The situation is quite complicated and there is a good explanation in UK Photographers Rights Guide v2.

There is a general lack of prohibition from taking pictures in public but, for example, you may not harass (in England) or do it if there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. It isn't illegal to take pictures of police officers unless the pictures would be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Complicated? Yes, it's up to the court to decide ultimately not a policeman (especially if as in the above clip they don't know the law).

Sharks

Darn it - I'm visiting York later this year. Puts a whole new slant on The Archers for me... Quivering with anticipation now

Edit: Knew I'd forgotten something. The only polite policeman I've met recently is the retired Sergeant who lives next door. The rest, who have not yet retired seem to be uninterested, officious and when it comes to the younger ones, neds in uniform. I'm quite sure I've been unlucky in my encounters but as it's never been me getting into trouble but me needing some assistance I'd rather ask a passerby than ask a policeman nowadays.

All of my dealings with the Police in the past have been positive. I think it's another one of those "treat people as you would wish to be treated" things, I have absolutely no doubt that the Police have to put up with a lot of idiots who stereotype the way they behave and illicit a response based on that. I am also sure that the Police are human beings, with all the associated flaws and idiosyncracies that go with that state of being.

I'm not particularly concerned about having my picture taken, but then I am anonymous "Jo Bloggs" on the street, if I were a Police Officer, and my face and location were being broadcast over the internet where extremists or even just the relatives of people I'd nicked could use it to identify me, the location I work in daily etc etc then I'd be less inclined to pose for the camera.

It's all just personal experience honestly, but I've always been polite and courteous to Police Officers, right from my early years with the MPs walking the beat around our married quarters, I have always found them to be polite and courteous in return and extremely helpful. I have had experiences of rural Policing, medium-sized-town Policing and, more recently, the Police in London, I have found them all to be reasonable and helpful, willing to listen and willing to assist or advise in anyway they can.

Conversely, I have seen people approach Police Officers, with a rude, bolshy attitude, treat them like muck, talk to them like idiots and then then received their expected, stereotypical response. I am not surprised, if you talked to me like I was a three year old, insulted me, and were rude and disresepctful I'd have a bit of a problem with that too, regardless of my job role.

I expect other people have had less positive brushes with the law, but the above is only my two-penneth-orth.