[UncleVanya]

"Some years ago, I was taking photos along a clifftop close to where I used to live" ..... profile info:Location: Norfolk, UK

I mostly participate via mobile. That info is not displayed.

We have nutters that commit mass murder , same as any country. But report of a gun in a public place ...you will get jumped on hard. I regard that as good policing.

Then you and I won't see eye to eye. I appreciate that you feel that way and I would be happy to share a beer and discuss but this isn't the place for deep political discussions.

[Wheatfield]

First where did it say what country this was in? Second, I think this has veered well off the path into politics. I will not debate the relative merits of gun policy with you. I will say that the reaction under the circumstances seems even more out of proportion as guns are in fact rare and unlikely there - why on earth are the cops freaked out when it so rarely occurs? The answer is that they got overly excited I suspect. These over the top reactions all too common and always justified as “just in case” without any thoughts about the negative side of these incidents. There’s a cost to these incidents that goes deeper than we may realize. I think this is the root of some of the police violence we see - but now I’m steering into politics. Whoops. Let’s just say I feel like the dehumanization of people who are only SUSPECTED of crimes is a dangerous path.

The OP self identifies as being in Norfolk UK.
I agree with you about the dehumanizing aspect of people suspected of crimes, especially when all the police have is the word of a probably unreliable witness, or worse, a witness with an axe to grind (I think the term is swatting), but we have, in the past couple of decades, moved from a society of relative trust to a society of paranoia.
Now people aren't given the benefit of the doubt, now there is a presumption of guilty until innocence is proven, and even then, it often isn't enough.
You may not be guilty of what I thought you were, but surely you are guilty of something, otherwise why were suspicions aroused?

In a world where it's probably an umbrella but it might be an Uzi so we aren't taking any chances, it's going to be increasingly dangerous to do anything that people can view as slightly odd.

Photographers are also a really easy target, and in fact people have been programmed over the past two decades to view people with cameras with distrust.

Remember the "If you see something report it" posters from a while back that showed a person with a camera presumably doing something bad? That's where we stand in the world now.

---------- Post added Oct 21st, 2021 at 08:20 PM ----------

I mostly participate via mobile. That info is not displayed.




Then you and I won't see eye to eye. I appreciate that you feel that way and I would be happy to share a beer and discuss but this isn't the place for deep political discussions.

It would actually be a cultural discussion.

[Digitalis]

Isn't there some kind of penalty for giving a false/misleading report to the police?

[StiffLegged]

The police would have to prove the intention of whoever made the report. It would also help the police in these cases if they said something as they allowed their “suspect” to resume normal life along the lines of “We’re satisfied there’s no cause for concern, sir/madam. Good day to you.” Much better than covering their own embarrassment or frustration by pushing off without a word.

[Digitalis]

It would also help the police in these cases if they said something as they allowed their “suspect” to resume normal life along the lines of “We’re satisfied there’s no cause for concern, sir/madam. Good day to you.

After having live weapons pointed at you, you would think they would have the decency to apologize and look into the jerk that called them up. But in this case...they didn't apologize for the mistake. There is little difference between this and swatting someone.

[niels hansen]

years ago I would not carry my photosniper openly in the airport, it was placed in the luggage. As far as I remember the luggage seemed to have been opened-quite resonable

[aslyfox]

IMHO

a few of things to remember about LE [ law enforcement ]

they are truly " a thin blue line " compared to the general population

they work as an outnumbered team

feelings of " isolation " can and does occur

their chosen profession is one where death/injury often happen

they live in " glass houses " their errors are publicized

they rarely receive praise for a job well done

a lot of interactions with them are not appreciated - " here is your ticket "

they can be " tarred by the same brush " [ blamed for the acts of any bad actors among them ] despite their individual qualifications and acts

society cannot exist without them

they are individuals, both good and bad people, can be in their midst

individuals make mistakes

their mistakes can lead to situations where death/injury often happen

[ full disclosure, during my legal career I acted as a local prosecutor in two different jurisdictions as well a court appointed defense attorney in a third location. as a local prosecutor I had my conflicts with LE from time to time ]

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Last edited by aslyfox; 10-22-2021 at 07:49 AM.

[ehrwien]

Carrying a gun in the UK is illegal with a few exceptions.

to the extent that even most police officers don't carry one all the time, right?

[termy]

dont know about the UK.
But in Norway, most if not all, do not carry their firearms by their side.
The firearms are under lock in their vehicles (until assessed as to be in a situation needing it).

I appreciate that some members are from countries where it could be legal to own firearms, and some are from countries where members of the public are not allowed (at all) to own firearms.

And yeah, this isnt the appropriate place / platform to discuss the merits or otherwise of firearms ownership.

But i think the inescapable fact remains that, the number of incidents and number of deaths due to firearms offences (country by country), are quite clear and stark and plain.

Thus, if a particular society wishes to have that "right to firearm ownership", then that society will have to accept the higher numbers of firearms related incidents and deaths.

No "correct" or "wrong".
More of, if that is the decision, then got to accept the likely consequences.

[StiffLegged]

to the extent that even most police officers don't carry one all the time, right?

That’s right. Long may it continue that way.

[TaoMaas]

Thank goodness you weren't using a hand-held spot meter. You might have gotten shot!

[Digitalis]

Thank goodness you weren't using a hand-held spot meter. You might have gotten shot!

Funny you mention that, as I have gotten some funny looks from people over the years when I have been using my classic Pentax spotmeter.

[MaineNative]

I’ll give a somewhat similar example, but in my case, I made it obvious that I was taking photos and the police also responded appropriately and we all continued on our separate ways…

I was in Boulder, Colorado, and got up in the morning to take some pictures of the early morning sun shining an the Flatiron mountain peaks. Because I was downtown, I wanted to get up higher so I could get some shots without any buildings blocking my line of sight.

I went to the top story of town parking garage and set up my tripod with a telephoto lens. About 20 minutes after I started taking pictures, a police car made a loop by through the parking garage. I heard him coming, I waved to say hello, he waved back and I never saw him again.

You can bet that the parking garage had security cameras but probably not good enough ones to see what I was doing. After seeing the police car, it certainly made sense because if I were someone with a gun, it would be an ideal location. I can’t blame the police for doing a drive-by even if they assumed I was “just a photographer.” It is their job to be cautious.

One thing was that when I saw the police, I knew I wasn’t doing anything wrong, so I didn’t try to hide or change what I was doing. Wave and be nice because they are doing their job. Make it easy for them.

I have several friends and relatives who were in law enforcement. They do need to be careful. It is dangerous. It does sound like over-reaction in this case (they could have tried observing you for a while instead of taking you down, for instance.). In my case, they were doing their job. Think about what they would do if instead of waving, I tried hiding my tripod or reached in my pocket?

[Lord Lucan]

We have nutters that commit mass murder , same as any country. But report of a gun in a public place ...you will get jumped on hard.

Standing on a cliff top in Norfolk seems an unlikely way to start committing mass (or even single) murder. Also in the UK it is extremely rare that anyone would be carrying a gun, so it is pretty unreasonable for the complainer to have jumped to the conclusion that the OP's baton-like object was a gun. I would not report an object as a gun unless I could actually see it was one, and I think most people know what a gun looks like. Can't blame the police for reacting if they had been told it was a gun, but they should hve apologised.

In fact I do see people carrying a shotgun occasionally in my rural area (Wales, UK). I have come across poachers in my neighbouring forest hunting pheasants. As the pheasants are released in the forest without permission, for fattening up for Xmas, you could say the pheasants belong to another type of poacher anyway. So, as long as I don't resemble a pheasant myself, I'm not much concerned.