Preventing attempted Camera theft

Young relative keen on photography, is experimenting photographing plant
life in a public open space at night with a powerful spot lamp.

He would be out there in a public space and with an expensive camera.

Would he be commiting any offence obtaining an expandable baton (such as the
police have) and taking it with him, just in case some low life's are
attempting to take his camera?

 

Wrong group: try uk.legal

 

A baton would be an offensive weapon and so illegal. It'd perhaps be better to take a friend who has a mobile phone.

Do a search for offensive weapons and self-defence for more on this.

 

It is illegal to sell any straight side handled or friction lock
Truncheons / Batons (Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons)
Amendment Order 2004). The same order classifies them as offensive
weapons

Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 prohibits the possession
in any public place of an offensive weapon without lawful authority or
excuse so if found carrying one your relative would be prosecuted.
Carrying it for self defence against a possible threat is not a lawful
excuse.

 

john woods wrote:
:: Young relative keen on photography, is experimenting photographing
:: plant life in a public open space at night with a powerful spot lamp.
::
:: He would be out there in a public space and with an expensive camera.
::
:: Would he be commiting any offence obtaining an expandable baton
:: (such as the police have) and taking it with him, just in case some
:: low life's are attempting to take his camera?

If he took an implement that was for not for the purposes of self defence
then he would be ok. But taking some kind of baton is going to result in
some pretty tough questioning if the police come round wanting to know
what's going on, and even more of a worry, if he ended up in a fight, used
the baton and caused serious damage, even in self defence he is going to end
up doing time.

 

How about a monopod?
Kind regards,

Geoff Berrow
www.slipperyhill.co.uk
New CD, 'Gathering Speed' out now! Available
on our website or from iTunes/Amazon

 

Silly question, really, as you already know, even in the asking.
Take a suitable implement for which you have a potentially entirely
reasonable use.
A good heavy torch springs to mind.

I have been barged into on several occasions, by people who have walked in a
straight line, quite predictably, into my tripod, erected in full view.
It is not necessarily the thug you need to be concerned about, but the
increasing number of casual, "accidental" incidents that may occur.

A Little

 

Geoff Berrow wrote:
::
::: john woods wrote:
::::: Young relative keen on photography, is experimenting photographing
::::: plant life in a public open space at night with a powerful spot
::::: lamp.
:::::
::::: He would be out there in a public space and with an expensive
::::: camera.
:::::
::::: Would he be commiting any offence obtaining an expandable baton
::::: (such as the police have) and taking it with him, just in case
::::: some low life's are attempting to take his camera?
:::
::: If he took an implement that was for not for the purposes of self
::: defence then he would be ok. But taking some kind of baton is going
::: to result in some pretty tough questioning if the police come round
::: wanting to know what's going on, and even more of a worry, if he
::: ended up in a fight, used the baton and caused serious damage, even
::: in self defence he is going to end up doing time.
:::
::
:: How about a monopod?
:: Kind regards,
::
:: Geoff Berrow

An excellent suggestion. He could, in the course of self defence, quite
reasonably use this implement in a way that killed someone and walk away
scot free.

 

What he wants is a heavy metal torch. No-one can say it is an offesive
weapon, esp at night.

 

Only if his defence/jury are complete morons...

 

: Young relative keen on photography, is experimenting photographing plant
: life in a public open space at night with a powerful spot lamp.:
: He would be out there in a public space and with an expensive camera.:
: Would he be commiting any offence obtaining an expandable baton (such as
the
: police have) and taking it with him, just in case some low life's are
: attempting to take his camera?

Hello John.
Is there a relative (or two) that could accompany him? There's definitely
safety in numbers.
Regards, Ian.

 

You could take a look at the XShot, it collapses just like a baton too.
I don't have one so I don't know how strong they are.

 

Frankly, I've usually taken a monopod. With a decent ball haed on it, it
is both a useful innocent photo accessory and could be used in self-
defence.

Never had to use it though.

Mike

 

Carrying it for self defence against a possible threat is not a lawful

... so what is?

szymon

 

Taking a weapon is very seriously frowned upon.
There are two issues here one is beating off an attacker and the other
is an issue of buying time.

Various sticks and torches have already been suggested but to buy time
you cannot beat a powerful fast-recharge flash gun, blast someone full
in the eyes with one of those and you have bought quite a few vital seconds.

Andy

 

And the "few" seconds lost in taking it out, charging it and finding the
button?
Fight to win.

 

In this case, there isn't. A folding baton is defined in law as an
offensive weapon. It has no other purpose.

If the offensive weapon is carried as a general precaution against the
possibility of attack then case law has determined this does not
constitute a reasonable excuse.

Evans Hughes [1972] Crim.L.R. 558
http://www.rjerrard.co.uk/law/cases/densu.htm


However, it might constitute a reasonable excuse if a person thought
that he was about to be attacked imminently and carried the weapon to
defend himself against a specific danger.

 

As in Rear Window?

Mike

 

Get an old Zenit SLR and attach it to a sturdy strap.