Last Chance to Watch the Watchers?

There is a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode called "Who Watches the Watchers?" in which a group of anthropologists are uncovered when their disguised hide observing a pre-First Contact civilisation is compromised by a power failure of their holographic false front. That may be away in the future Stardate 43173.5 to be precise, to please the geeks and Trekees/Trekers amongst my readers, and is a fairly innocent issue of how to maintain the Prime Directive. Something we could well do with and the sooner the better.



But let me take you a date far closer to today. Indeed only 10 days hence for the stats and excel geeks amongst you that is 39860 in numeric form or 16 February 2009 for the rest of you. Because on that day Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 amends the Terrorism Act 2000 regarding offences relating to information about members of armed forces, a member of the intelligence services, or a police officer.



Charlotte Gore points out the Rodney King police beating in LA. I'd like to highlight this:

Taken during the Gaza protest last month it was just one of many I could have taken that day. The police are able to take pictures of us, even if the event is peaceful. From the 16th February what happens when things do not remain peaceful. The police with the handheld cameras are not likely to be recording actions if things get nasty.

Also with almost everyone having a camera in their pocket through their mobile phone all the time, innocent by-standers are likely to take out their picture to take shots of what they see as injustice. I know I have done it several times at football games when the police are using a disproportionate response to the Livi travelling support.

Therefore I thoroughly recommend that you join the Facebook Group National Take a Photo of a Police Officer Day which will be the 15th. It is the last day you can enjoy the freedom secure in the knowledge that you pic won't led to up to 10 years in prison. Let's watch the watchers good one last time. And in the meantime we'll all to brush up our quick sketching skills to capture the scene to show up the police.