It is common knowledge that photographers in the City of London face constant hassle from private security guards (see a film and blogpost on this here).
The Manifesto Club’s Peter Lloyd approached City authorities, asking whether they planned to do anything about these over-officious private security guards.
With the help of councilman Alex Deane, we received the following heartening response:
Given the City’s history, it is vital that we remain vigilant. However, there is a need to strike the balance between the rights of the individual and the need to ensure that the City is safe for all those who either live, work or come to the city as tourists.
To that end, The Safer City Partnership (which includes the City of London Corporation and the City of London Police) is working with the City of London Crime Prevention Association to produce a guide to security staff and other related personnel that will be distributed widely across City businesses and beyond.
The booklet will contain advice to business about a wide range of security matters and will address specifically the issue of photography and filming within the Square Mile.
The booklet will highlight the advice given by the British Security Industry Association to all of its members reminding them that most photography and filming is legitimate and that anyone engaged in those activities is to be approached in a courteous manner.’
An important step. We await the booklet with interest.