Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

To think this parent was wrong to phone the police?

102 replies

memoo · 06/02/2010 18:26

Today DH and I took the the kids to the local park. To cut a very long story short after we had been there about 10 minutes a police car arrived, 2 officers got out and after a conversation with one of the dads they then approached a couple with two young children.

We were sat nearby this couple and so could hear exactly what was being said. The police officers asked the male of the couple if he had been taking pictures, He replied that yes he had taken pictures of the play area while his daughter was playing in it.

The policewoman then asked if he had been taking photos of other children in the play area to which the man said he hadn't.

They then searched his camera and his mobile! presumably checking the photos on there.

The conversation went on for a while longer until the police were finally satisfied that he really was just a loving dad taking photos of his daughter playing.

I just cannot believe that someone phoned the police! and said so very loudly within hearing of the man who phoned them

I think this is the most increadably sad thing I have ever witnessed! I think the man who phoned the police should be bloody shot!

OP posts:

LaurieFairyCake · 06/02/2010 18:49

I got asked last summer actually when I was taking photos of dd and her brother. neither child mine. They were fishing in the local park. It didn't bother me and I happily showed the park attendant my photos - it had a good zoom on it so it was theoretically possible that I could be taking pics of children in the paddling pool a hundred yards away.

TulipsInTheRain · 06/02/2010 18:51

how horrible for the poor man

i'm shocked that anyone would do something as bizarre as calling the police on a couple in the park taking pictures of their own child.... society has lost the plot entirely

LaurieFairyCake · 06/02/2010 18:51

er.....people taking photos all round Parliament are routinely questioned. People with cameras are stopped all the time cos of the terrorism act.

SueSylvester · 06/02/2010 18:51

If the complainer rang the police and said a man is taking pictures in the park, they should have said thats not a crime. the caller must have intimated he was dodgy in some way.

I think its appalling that a man was treated in such a way, and the police had no business looking at his pictures. Poor guy.

bran · 06/02/2010 18:53

I don't think the prevention of terrorism act applies to the average playgroun, it's not much of a target really is it? I still don't know what crime you think the man could potentially have been committing.

LaurieFairyCake · 06/02/2010 18:53

bran - when we've had the discussion on here before parents have said that they don't want people taking photos of their children and photo shopping them into child pornography or taking photos of their children scantily clad.

I'm not bothered about that but plenty on here are.

CommonNortherner · 06/02/2010 18:53

Yes, Parliament, terrorism, children in a park. Same thing

MmeLindt · 06/02/2010 18:55

Was there any reason to believe that he was taking photos of other DC?

LaurieFairyCake · 06/02/2010 18:56

That is my sole point - he wasn't 'treated' in any way. They received a concern from a member of the public, they attended, were polite and left.

They didn't confiscate his camera or arrest him, they talked to him. To check that no illegal activity was going on.

Goodness the police can't do anything right, people would soon be complaining if they didn't turn up.

LaurieFairyCake · 06/02/2010 18:57

I was responding to commonnortherner when she said it was shocking being questioned while carrying out a lawful activity. Just pointing out that people do lawful activities every day and are questioned.

junglist1 · 06/02/2010 18:58

A dad taking pictures of his own child wouldn't bother me. A man without a child taking pictures of other children would bother me. Was it obvious he had a child with him. If so the whole things a bit

MadameDefarge · 06/02/2010 18:59

Why does everybody expect paedophiles to be lonely old men with dirty macs? Many are married with children.

But you don't know why they called the police, all you is know is that they did. Perhaps they asked him to not photograph their child and he refused or something, the thing is, you do not know.

I once called the police on a man who was waving a gun in the playground. Nobody else did.

That's London for you.

bran · 06/02/2010 19:00

OK, so nobody wants their children to appear on a paedophile site, I get that. I still don't see the crime in taking a photo, it's totally inappropriate to curtail normal family activity on the vanishingly small off- chance that the photo might be used for something like that. It would be like banning bananas because there's a risk that some evil person might not put the skin into a bin and someone else might get hurt slipping on it.

I feel sorry for the poor man. If that happened to me I would feel sad everytime I visited that park.

MyNewPans · 06/02/2010 19:00

OMG i am so pleased i don't work with parents like the nutty who called the police.

I have loads of photo's of babues and children, all of who i have looked after at one time or another.

What a horrid thing for the family having harmless fun, OP i would be surprised if you see them there again as i would imagine they will aviod this play ground in the future given the attitude of others unlike yourself.

LaurieFairyCake · 06/02/2010 19:03

I don't think normal family activity should be curtailed. I just think that if you're taking photos of children in this society you can expect to be questioned (politely, respectfully and professionally) about it.

And providing you're not doing anything wrong (like I wasn't) then no big deal.

MadameDefarge · 06/02/2010 19:04

I've just reread the OP. Even worse is that she does not know who called the police. It might have been a parent, it might have been a park ranger....none of us know what the hell happened, so I think a little less of the outrage at poor man being victimised and a bit more appreciation for the very tricky job our police have to do to safeguard us all.

MadameDefarge · 06/02/2010 19:06

People are stopped and questioned all the time. WHere do you people live?

Or is it only outrageous when a man with children and a wife is questioned, like that is some kind of badge of purity?

Strive for a little logic.

LittleMrsHappy · 06/02/2010 19:10

Gawd I hate all this "peado" alert way of thinking now!, its shameful!

Paedophilia is no more prevalent that it was 50 years ago, its now just in the daily wail spotlight!

Its disgusting that a father cannot take photos of his own children, without getting the police involved, without being checked to see f he is a peado!

Its disgusting and PC gone ridiculously mad!

LaurieFairyCake · 06/02/2010 19:13

I want people to be 'checked to see if their a paedo' providing that when its discovered they aren't they are not persecuted (which this guy wasn't).

I have two paedophile father-in-laws, I wish they were checked all the time.

LittleMrsHappy · 06/02/2010 19:16

Im all for the Police doing their job correctly, I work with vulnerable children and in situations like the OP described, but from regards to what the OP has said, if whomever called the police used a little common sense, a man and a woman with their child in a play park, taking photos of their own child, then what on earth was their to phone the police about?

Its disgraceful that people dont look into the scenario and see the bigger picture!

Man or woman, is irrelevant, it is now going to come to the point, where parents will only be able to take photos of their own child in there own home!

That in itself is disgusting!.

LaurieFairyCake · 06/02/2010 19:19

The right people ie. the police did look into the 'scenario'.

MadameDefarge · 06/02/2010 19:25

Oh, we have the PC gone mad brigade!

I am afraid it's like Godwin's Law.

You are all certifiable.

Building story upon supposition upon gossip upon speculation...

Its PC Gawn Mad, I tell You!

Do you all live in Little Twatting?

LittleMrsHappy · 06/02/2010 19:26

I ha vent said they did not, but the police did not need to be called, unless we want to waste police time for all accusations like this

If the person looked and seen that the father was taking innocent photos of his own child, instead f jumping on the "peado alert" which I see daily! on a regular basis and only 1% of ALL of those calls are actually founded!

Common sense goes a long way!

I also had a hideous childhood, but I dont think people who take photographs of children are of that nature, I look at the whole scenario.

tw888 · 06/02/2010 19:27

YANBU the caller should have been charged with wasting police's time! What an idiot!

woodyandbuzz · 06/02/2010 19:30

Can't believe the police came out. My brother was in his house alone whilst the outisde of it was being vandalised (he was really frightened) - called police, they didn't come!!

Flip

1 2 3 4 5