Talk about out of touch !

[SmartWombat]

I think this level of ignorance in a chief police officer explains some of the problems press photographers have. Let alone the rest of us.

http://jwarren.co.uk/blog/whos-a-journalist/

If the man in charge of public order policing doesn’t know how the UK Press Card works it’s little surprise so few police respect it.
Is he simply incompetent ?

[Franglais]

Well - go on then..

How does the Press Card system function?

[SmartWombat]

It's a voluntary scheme, operated by a council of gatekeeper organisations, national organisations which represent journalists and other media personnel (employed or freelance), whose work involves gathering material for editorial publication in all media.

It's for working news media, and is (or ought to be) recognised by UK police - through the Association of Chief Police Officers for England and Wales (ACPO), and by its sister organisation in Scotland, ACPOS.

Accreditation for the card isn't easy as a freelancer, this is from an application form:
If you are freelance, please lease list up to five publications or agencies for whom you work most, giving an approximate break down of the time spent working for them...
Please provide the name, telephone number and email address of two people within the industry who would be prepared to act as a referee should we need further proof of you eligibility to hold a UK Press Card ....

I'm glad that is is tightly enforced, so that only accredited media can hold these cards.

Each hard has a personal idenfitication code (password or PIN), the PIC allows anyone to verify that the card is genuine and that the holder is a bona fide newsgatherer by calling the hotline number: 0870 8376477

The cards also have several secret security features in addition to the verification hotline. These are only revealed to the police or similar authorities. They are produced using similar technology to the photo-driving license, with the photograph and design integrated into the structure of the card.

Oh and cards are only valid for two years, at which point they must be renewed, so that it's likely only working photographers will carry them.

[Old Timer]

Sounds like a well thought out system that should work well. Now all that has to happen is those that are in the know need to get there.

[Franglais]

The French organisation is similar, but it was set up by law in 1935. This doesn't surprise me - you know even normal citizens have to have an ID card and if you don't have it on you when a policeman asks to check your identity then they can detain you until you can prove who you are?

The UK press card system was set up at the initiative of the Metropolitan police in 1992 so in a sense, the police officer mentioned in the article is in charge of the whole thing.

[SmartWombat]

Which is surprising he doesn't know or understand it ...