It is nice to finally get clear and precise information from the police regarding Photography. There’s been a lot of press recently regarding the stop and search tactics used against photographers and much of the trouble is due to confusion often on the part of the officers involved.
I for one am pleased to see the Met publish the advice I just hope that officers are made aware and have their knowledge of what is allowable in the light of the law checked on a regular basis.
What I don’t like is the way things are still left to the interpretation of the officer involved. If a police officer reasonably suspects that your photographs can be used in connection with terrorism, they can seize and retain any item found during a search under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. There is a burden on the officer here as it is ‘reasonable’ suspicion and the burden of law rests on that but it seems that it is still open for misunderstanding, mis-interpretation and some inconvenience in some cases.
That said, the Met has laid their cards on the table, police officers and photographers alike now know where they stand.
