Robocop !!!!

sbowler · 19-03-2008, 4:40 PM

http://current.com/items/88856223_yo...t_picture_this

inkinoo · 19-03-2008, 4:51 PM

Community Support Officers are idiots; this is not news

lloydy53 · 19-03-2008, 4:58 PM

That should be a training video for the community clowns, and also a good lesson in getting the facts right before starting an online petition that makes photographers look like clowns!

sbowler · 19-03-2008, 4:59 PM

Policing on the cheap? I suppose its better to have them than not, a bit like having an old Bangor of a car, is better than walking. I personally found the cameraman's reaction a bit abrupt and the situation should have been handled better by both parties. I agree with the argument of personal freedom in society, its this freedom however that's being exploited by certain undesirables to attack us.

rizingstar · 19-03-2008, 5:07 PM

The cameraman's reaction was a bit abrupt because he's making a docu on it, he wanted to get a reaction and make it heated for the camera, notice how he panned onto the community Support Officer and stayed with him, it looked to me like the officer would have walked on if he never followed him with the cam...

stevegreen · 19-03-2008, 5:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rizingstar

The cameraman's reaction was a bit abrupt because he's making a docu on it, he wanted to get a reaction and make it heated for the camera, notice how he panned onto the community Support Officer and stayed with him, it looked to me like the officer would have walked on if he never followed him with the cam...

I agree with that.

my useful contribution for the day

Strobe · 19-03-2008, 5:39 PM

For the record, I do not consider community support officers to be idiots (they have a valued presence in my local town). The officer in the film did seem to be over-zealous though. I also agree that the camera-man was looking to provoke a reaction, both were as bad as each other, IMO.

Brammers · 19-03-2008, 5:43 PM

I really think a lot of this is over-hyped... Up here in Edinburgh we once did a fire-shoot in the fountains outside the scottish pariliament building. Buckets of flammable liquids, plenty of kit for arson, brand shiny new building...

Of course a policeman rocked up, quick chat later and we were free to do what we wanted.

That officer does seem a bit of a tool though...

inkinoo · 19-03-2008, 5:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rizingstar

The cameraman's reaction was a bit abrupt because he's making a docu on it, he wanted to get a reaction and make it heated for the camera, notice how he panned onto the community Support Officer and stayed with him, it looked to me like the officer would have walked on if he never followed him with the cam...

It doesn't matter if he panned onto the CSO and followed him all the way until he was out of shot; you can film anyone you like if you are in a public place.

I actually thought the documentary maker was relatively restrained given the CSO put his hand in front of the lens and frequently told him to shut up. I would have let rip and shown him up as the idiot he was.

Tobers · 19-03-2008, 6:07 PM

What is this country coming to? Inexperienced amateur wannabe police, not to mention the roadside wombles standing uselessly at the side of motorways unwilling to help a lady fix a flat tyre (health & safety). Give them a uniform and some dayglo and they think they own the place.

Well done to the cameraman for standing his ground. Whether he went there to initiate such a confrontation or not is immaterial. The sheer uselessness of the CSOs beggars belief.

Instead of wasting billions of our money on Northern Rock, Iraq etc, the government should be getting its core role sorted out and stop fiddling and fannying about at the edges of everything and generally making this a worse place to live.

I fear worse is to come. Once my kids are out of school I'm clearing off.

allymac123 · 19-03-2008, 6:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inkinoo

It doesn't matter if he panned onto the CSO and followed him all the way until he was out of shot; you can film anyone you like if you are in a public place.

So if you were walking down a street and someone followed you with a video camera or took lots of photo's of you would you not say anything?

To me it looks like one of those situations where he started something that within 5s he realised he had no grounds to say or do anything about. At that point (ideally he shouldn't have 'started' at all) he should have backed down and apologised. But obviously he felt he had to try and stop himself looking stupid (at which he failed miserably!)

Telling the camera man to 'shut up' I think should net this guy a diciplinary hearing. The cameraman was never what I would class as rude. Confrontational, perhaps, but at least he knew what he was talking about.

I do like how the 2nd officer mouthed and apology as they were leaving!

PCSO's do a good job in that you see them out and about.

I personally think that if punishments for criminals fitted the crime(s) comitted then there would be a lot less crime and we wouldn't need CSO's anyway. You need to deal with the problem at route. (Not training CSO's to at least know the law's of the land is inexcusable though.)

Tobers · 19-03-2008, 7:15 PM

Ally - nice dovetailing on that mahogany glass box. Very slick web site too.

inkinoo · 19-03-2008, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allymac123

So if you were walking down a street and someone followed you with a video camera or took lots of photo's of you would you not say anything?

To me it looks like one of those situations where he started something that within 5s he realised he had no grounds to say or do anything about. At that point (ideally he shouldn't have 'started' at all) he should have backed down and apologised. But obviously he felt he had to try and stop himself looking stupid (at which he failed miserably!)

Telling the camera man to 'shut up' I think should net this guy a diciplinary hearing. The cameraman was never what I would class as rude. Confrontational, perhaps, but at least he knew what he was talking about.

I may say something, I may not. However if I was at work and representing my employer and my choice of words and actions would be far more careful than if I were just an ordinary member of the public.

And as the documentary pointed out, cameras are everywhere. Do people walk into offices and start harassing security guards who are monitoring the CCTV?