Home Secretary says police may restrict photographers
UK HOME Secretary Jacqui Smith has told the NUJ that police are entitled to restrict the work of photographers in public places.
She was replying to a letter from General Secretary Jeremy Dear, who had written raising photographers’ concerns at the way that police in London, notably those in the Forward Intelligence Team (FIT) have been recording their activities and impeding their ability to work while covering demonstrations. Photographers say that they are regularly photographed and the images catalogued on a police database.
He wrote: “The routine and deliberate targeting of photographers and other journalists by the FIT undermines media freedom and can serve to intimidate photographers trying to carry out their lawful work.”
In reply Jacqui Smith confirmed that there are no legal restrictions on photography in public places, but added: “Decisions may be made locally to restrict or monitor photography in reasonable circumstances. That is an operational decision for the officers involved based on the individual circumstances of each situation.”
She said the union’s points should therefore be raised with the Metropolitan Police.
NUJ freelance organiser John Toner has already met officers from the FIT, together with representatives of other photographers’ organisations.
The police told them that bona fide press photographers were not being targeted and that no record of such photographers was being kept on any database. Any photographs of photographers that did get taken as “collateral damage” during demonstrations were deleted.
John Toner said: “It is good to know we can talk to the FIT team if photographers raise issues with us in future.”
Jeremy Dear commented: “Whilst the police deny they are targeting legitimate photographers we have plenty of evidence to the contrary. This abuse must stop”.