Comments on: Dee Doocey challenges Met Police Commissioner over treatment of photographers http://www.libdemvoice.org/dee-doocey-challenges-met-police-commissioner-over-treatment-photographers-20491.html Our place to talk - an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:55:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Andrew Suffield http://www.libdemvoice.org/dee-doocey-challenges-met-police-commissioner-over-treatment-photographers-20491.html#comment-135035 Andrew Suffield Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:25:09 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=20491#comment-135035 <blockquote>I know in that incident whilst we have not received any official complaint at this time, the officers have received words of advice</blockquote> <blockquote>Dee Doocey, however, insisted that “words of advice” were not enough</blockquote> Groan. I'm just going to repost what I said in the linked comment thread back then. <blockquote>Publishing the story is one thing, but it is very important that he and anybody else who experiences similar things files a complaint with the IPCC and demands a full investigation (they’ll ask you whether you want one, and try to encourage you to let it be handled “internally” with promises of quick resolution, but they do have to investigate properly if you say so). There will be no disciplinary action and no other action of any other kind taken unless that complaint is filed. If it is filed, then they’re quite good at correcting these things, although it takes a few months. The system more or less works, but it’s very bureaucratic and encourages victims to stay quiet and not make a fuss. You have to push past that. They can and will sack every officer who does this and rewrite policies to stop it happening again, but only if a complaint is properly filed. No action can or will be taken without a complaint. </blockquote> Come on, people. File complaints. Every time somebody doesn't file a complaint about this kind of abuse, they are complicit in letting the officers get away with doing it again. Nothing more than "words of advice" can result if you don't file a complaint.

I know in that incident whilst we have not received any official complaint at this time, the officers have received words of advice

Dee Doocey, however, insisted that “words of advice” were not enough

Groan. I’m just going to repost what I said in the linked comment thread back then.

Publishing the story is one thing, but it is very important that he and anybody else who experiences similar things files a complaint with the IPCC and demands a full investigation (they’ll ask you whether you want one, and try to encourage you to let it be handled “internally” with promises of quick resolution, but they do have to investigate properly if you say so).

There will be no disciplinary action and no other action of any other kind taken unless that complaint is filed. If it is filed, then they’re quite good at correcting these things, although it takes a few months. The system more or less works, but it’s very bureaucratic and encourages victims to stay quiet and not make a fuss. You have to push past that. They can and will sack every officer who does this and rewrite policies to stop it happening again, but only if a complaint is properly filed. No action can or will be taken without a complaint.

Come on, people. File complaints. Every time somebody doesn’t file a complaint about this kind of abuse, they are complicit in letting the officers get away with doing it again. Nothing more than “words of advice” can result if you don’t file a complaint.

]]> By: Zoe O'Connell http://www.libdemvoice.org/dee-doocey-challenges-met-police-commissioner-over-treatment-photographers-20491.html#comment-134969 Zoe O'Connell Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:51:57 +0000 http://www.libdemvoice.org/?p=20491#comment-134969 This isn't just a problem with photographers - it happens with other groups too. The full story is <a href="http://zoeimogen.livejournal.com/162741.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> but briefly, a transwoman was denied access to the female toilets at Pride London (!) in 2008 and an off-duty police LGBT liaison officer (!!) broke the law by asking for her Gender Recognition Certificate. Later that day, another transwoman was sexually assaulted after being forced to use the male toilets. The response of Commander Allen from the Met seemed like he genuinely wanted to help, but was much the same hollow response as the one outlined here - "Words of Advice". I can understand that senior officers have a duty of care towards their staff, but it seems that duty is getting too strong. What happened to a duty of care towards the public? Sussex Police at least now have a policy of handcuffing anyone arrested of any offence, regardless of if they're a threat or not. Given that handcuffs are always used behind someone back as well, (Soldiers are trained not to do this to PoWs) unsurprisingly people have a tendency to freak out at this treatment. This isn’t just a problem with photographers – it happens with other groups too. The full story is here but briefly, a transwoman was denied access to the female toilets at Pride London (!) in 2008 and an off-duty police LGBT liaison officer (!!) broke the law by asking for her Gender Recognition Certificate. Later that day, another transwoman was sexually assaulted after being forced to use the male toilets.

The response of Commander Allen from the Met seemed like he genuinely wanted to help, but was much the same hollow response as the one outlined here – “Words of Advice”. I can understand that senior officers have a duty of care towards their staff, but it seems that duty is getting too strong. What happened to a duty of care towards the public? Sussex Police at least now have a policy of handcuffing anyone arrested of any offence, regardless of if they’re a threat or not. Given that handcuffs are always used behind someone back as well, (Soldiers are trained not to do this to PoWs) unsurprisingly people have a tendency to freak out at this treatment.

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