I think it’s OK to mix up a bit of cricket whimsy in with more technical posts about software development and social media, but religion and politics should probably be somewhere else.

For the record, I believe that the late decision to add the words “a constable” to Section 76 of the Act was a serious error. Most police officers are fair, honest and responsible. A very small minority sometimes aren’t. It is essential that members of the public can produce evidence of police misconduct on the rare occasions when it happens. The Act gives the power to any constable to prevent documentation of his actions and that is wrong.

That’s all I have to say on the subject in this place.

Quick links: This is not a riot | Counter-Terrorism Act 2008

I posted yesterday about the value of photographing (and filming) police officers as a way of encouraging them to stay within their legal operating constraints. Since no action has been taken against police officers involved in the G20 demonstrations except when they were being filmed we can conclude one of two things:

1. No police officer acted inappropriately except the ones that were caught on film, or
2. Police officers are rarely disciplined unless they are caught in an inappropriate act by a member of the public or a journalist

If the first is true then that in itself is a testament to the value of universal public documentation of demonstrations. I sincerely hope this is the answer, not the second option.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V23PGWd46MM]

At 3:50 in the above video a Territorial Support Group officer uses his armoured glove to hit a woman in the face. He then hits her with his baton. Don’t watch the assault, it’s not very edifying. Instead watch the forest of cameras that appear as soon as he starts to attack the woman.

The officer has now been suspended. Who thinks this would have happened without those cameras?

Who thinks that adding “constables” to Section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 was a good idea?

Quick links: This is not a riot | Counter-Terrorism Act 2008