I never get mad at anything, but today am almost seething. This picture was taken near where I live, and got me in trouble with the law. Seems it was close to a shool playground,and some person phoned the police to say that a man in a white van was taking pictures of school children. The officers came to my house and had a look at the images.Then he said, Sir you were beside a school do you realize that. I said "Sooo....I can take a picture anywhere I want, can't I...?"...Then said "If I see a good shot I will take it for sure."I guess he never liked my attitude and stated that this file would be going into sex crime reports. Jeeeeez! I phoned his boss to complain.He said I should get a phone call of appology soon. Ha!Right. Message edited on: 11/12/2004 20:26

I took 6 like this,to try for sunrays.These are uncropped.Just downsized. I sure don't see a school!

That truly does suck.... and it sounds like harrassment to me. While I understand they are erring on the side of caution... (hey there are a lot of sicko's out there).... to tell you they're going to put you in a sex crimes report is out of line and uncalled for.... one look at the pictures and they should have left it at that.....

I am very sorry to hear of this insane accusation. Short answer: Attorney ... right away. Longer answer by IM ... General answer ... At the very least, check your local bar association and use their referral service -- you should be able to have a short consultation with an attorney who handles that type of case -- in my area, a 30 minute consult costs only $25. Bring your documentation with you to the meeting, pictures, date/time, detail map of the area. At the meeting with the attorney, be sure you find out if the police are allowed to maintain a database of suspects without any confirming evidence. MGD

Definately harrassment. Wonder how he was planning to make a sex crime out of photos of the sky? Great shots by the way.

Were you wearing a raincoat? Passing out candy? Playing Michael Jackson tunes? If they'd want, they could make your life a living Hell. That lawyer suggestion may have a lot of merit.

I agree, since once they put your name in a sex offender section it wont come out without a lawyer. I mean I understand they are trying to protect children,but one look at your photos would tell them it was just a misunderstanding. Dont let them tell you it will be taken care of. Until you have the original copy of the report and see it torn up,dont buy a word they say.

they could make your life a living Hell. And that goes double for later on if dBgrafix's name is entered into and also remains in a police database of 'suspects'. MGD

Immigrate...sounds like these buggers are a Law unto themselves.

Tomorrow I will go down to the station with my laptop and talk to the "in command".
Then if I am not happy I will pursue it further with leagl action.
The second cop here sort of rolled his eyes and wanted to leave,as he knew there was nothing wrong. The younger more macho cop who did the talking, just had an attitude.Like I'm tough buddy.
I said listen young man....and he hated that LOL.

The reason I will do this is becuaes many times in summer I work with the schoolboard reparing damage the kids do in the year,and I want no ..and I mean no such info on a file whatsoever. I don't even want it in the cops notebook.
The more I think about this the more I find it serious.
I kind of laughed it off at first.
The school was half a block away anyway.

Message edited on: 11/12/2004 23:47

OMG, Doug!!!! kick their "blankin" butts!!!!! Yes, this is serious. that cop got ticked off and who knows WHAT he will put in his report!! You are definitely doin' the right thing!!!!

LOL..on the lighter side... I guess I better take all the left over halloween choclate bars out of my van. I will miss munching on sweets driving from job to job.Sheesh.

i can see him being cautious but that is ridiculous!
major complaint of harrassment :p

Do keep us updated as to the outcome of this. At the very least, you should get a written apology from the officer, and as Apophis906 says - be sure to get documentation that your name was NOT entered into a list or data base! Great image by the way! Dee-Marie

@dBgrafix > The second cop here sort of rolled his eyes and wanted > to leave, as he knew there was nothing wrong. The > younger more macho cop who did the talking, just had > an attitude. Like I'm tough buddy. Standard "Bad Cop; Good Cop" routine. You fell for it. Did you consult an attorney yet? > Tomorrow I will go down to the station with my laptop That could be an especially bad idea. How would you respond be if they decided to seize your laptop as 'evidence'? ... for a few months? You must recognize that this issue is already a very serious legal issue ... it has the potential to become a long lasting problem for you. They are playing hardball. ... and without an attorney, you can't respond in kind. MGD

harassment Harassment? ... you want to know about harassment? When I purchased this house, I was working 3,000 hours per year in a '9 to 5 job' for what is now a big five accounting firm. In that job, going to work and returning home were usually on different days. Because of the character of one unavoidable local two lane double center line road (bad) as well as the driving skills of many other drivers (very bad), I drove and still drive that road at the posted speed limit. The first 3 years I here (1992 to 1994), I experienced at least 6 bogus, late night traffic checks. Here are some of the brilliant statements I heard after pulling off the road, and coming to a full stop in order to allow traffic to pass me ... Almost all of them started with this lie, "The reason I pulled you over ..." -- how can a cop pull me over after I stop? Can that procedure be retroactive? "The reason I pulled you over is that you jerked the wheel" That one must have thought he was a dance instructor. How about, after passing a full roadside sobriety test, "I know that I can't prove it, but I still think you're drunk." Had that gone to court, what would he have said in his sworn testimony? In one instance, the last two questions of the roadside sobriety test were "Recite the numbers from 87 to 43 by 2's." He closed his investigation by requesting that I, "Recite the alphabet beginning with 'Z'." On that last one, I was tempted to ask, "Is it true that the alphabet is printed on the back of the Miranda card for your reference? ... Should I wait for you to get it out so you'll be able to check my response?" I didn't say that, because I realized my witty remark would have zero humor value at that time and place, but would have more value later in less hostile settings (such as this one). In one instance, the passenger was asked, "Are there any drugs in the car?" The answer, "no" got his response, "I didn't hear you." When she replied, "NO, there are NO drugs in this car. I am a school teacher, and I don't do any drugs!" To that, he responded, "You don't have to get hostile." "The reason I pulled you over is because your speed was erratic." The driver responded, "I knew you were behind me ... do you think I would be speeding?" The officer responded with "You don't have to obey the yello___" He caught himself as he was about to say "yellow signs" when he realized that might not be the right answer either. In one instance, the driver could not reach her purse on the back seat in order to produce the requested documents because of existing spine and neck injuries. I offered to move the purse. He stopped his requests (stopped talking) before I got out of the car to get them. After running her license and returning her paperwork, he looked at me and said, "You know, when you got out of the car, I could have shot you." That is true, he could have shot me ... except for the fact that he gave me implicit permission before I moved. No, 10 minutes later, that was actually a death threat ... for doing what he asked. Maybe he was angry over wasting 30 minutes, as well as not earning extra vacation days for a DUI citation that he couldn't issue. None of these incidents -- not a single one --- ever resulted in a traffic citation. And now ... day or night, I never stop to let any car pass. No more traffic checks. Before that, I had never realized that showing curtsey to another driver was a heinous, deviant, suspicious act. MGD

I know more than a few police officers on a personal level.... went to school with at least a couple.... had a cousin who was married to one.... and another who rented the first floor apartment of the home we owned in the city.... Now I hate to generalize/stereotype people but from personal experience I have to say that it takes a certain kind of person to be a cop. In listening to personal stories out of their own mouths of the things they have done while on duty and off.... one can come to the conclusion that they think they are above the law, and take perverse pleasure in tormenting the innocent person.... ohhh and yeah they get the babes.... not a one of them is above cheating on their girlfriends or spouses.. It's a mentally and physically dangerous job, but uhhh... yeah, I think most cops have a few screws loose..... but I could be wrong.... again I'm only speaking from personal experience.

I can agree with Michelle A. I have known a few as well,and if you are their friends,then you are fine,if not,then you can just as easly be prey. I actually remember a time me and some friend were sitting around in a parking lot,and our cop friend stopped by with his partner. We were talking,and this car drove by that had been yelling at us all night. We told him to go bother them. He turned on the light and chased them down,took them out the car and searched the whole car. Also like its been said,dont take your laptop. Just an excuse for them to seize it. Trust me,they can easily loose it on the way to the evidense locker. I say this because I have been on the receiving end of the intimidation harrassment when I was younger. I was a minor and they viloted so many laws that it wasnt funny. Interogating a minor alone, when the parent is their,not letting them back to see. Not to mention that when we were alone he keep playing with a weapon as he asked me questions. So just be careful with this. The sad fact is once your name is in the system,it will take a lawyer to get it out. If it went into any sex crimes file,then its going to be tough to get it out without one.

Hey Doug! Sounds like you stirred up a can of worms with that camera. But I would like you to look at a different perspective for a moment if I may. I work within the school system, and last Wednesday we recieved a high security bulletin released to us from the local County Sheriffs office. The bulletin was to inform us to pay very close attention and not leave doors unlocked or busses unattended. It seems that we have had several incidents here in this county, with people taking pictures of schools and busses, in two incidents the suspects were interrogated, and it was found that they were tourists in rental cars, the one incident involved a camera, a tourist and a bus they were not only were they taking pictures of the bus and the undercarriage, but the braking system on the bus had been tampered with by the guy with the camera and serious damage was done to the vehicle. So I can understand them looking at you funny with a camera near a school, but the sex offender thing didn't even cross my mind, I was thinking that maybe they thought you were a terrorist, as we have been on high security alert here pretty much since 9/11. The terrorists said that they would get to us "through our children" the next time. I hope you clear up this matter about the sex offender thing, I think MGD has given you some pretty sound advice. But in all honesty I don't think I would be shooting anything near a school any time soon either. Brenda

Nilla... I know about the secutrity things in the USA. We are not like this here in Canada.Sure we have a tiny bit more heightened security at our borders,but withing our cities.I also do work for the schoolboard and have even had my camera in the school taking pictures of walls we worked on. My grandfather was also the superintendant of all the schools here back when. Does this mean I cannot shoot nice scenery.How about at a park near where children may play.The mountains where children may ski. Where does it stop. What if I was a real estate person shooting the house near a school.Or the view from a house. My house is within 2 blocks of 2 schools.Can I not shoot in my yard. It is only a criminal mind that would do injustice to all of this. For me I do not even think of it that way. Do I have to be afraid to take my neices and nephews. out for a nice day trip.Do I have stop taking pictures of my family. This is why I took a stand and said to the cop " I will take a good shot no matter where I am. I am all for the protection of kids.For that matter anyone.Elderly people too. But some officers take their enforcement to levels above required. There have been many pfficers of late being charged with violence agaionst citizens here.Righ tdown to driving them to a remote area and beating them badly. Well as of today it is over and there is no real file on it. It was only a call out to inquire. I sure will find out on my next security check, as I get them often in the owrk I do.

Good on Ya Mate! Well said! Freedom for Photographers...and I would trust You more than any Copper:] I will Vouch for You!

...and I sure must run spell check more often....re reading last post is sooooo bad.