The Paranoid Morons Known As The Gloucester, New Jersey Police
From Carlos Miller at PINAC -- Photography Is Not A Crime:
New Jersey police are on the lookout for two men caught on video taking pictures of a public school from a public road, asking the public for help in tracking these men down.Gloucester Township police say it is important to find these men because they were involved in "suspicious activity."
What -- taking photos of the school instead of sitting on their asses and Googling it up?
The Gloucester Police Department's Facebook page post:
At 1:20 PM, a younger white male operating a dark sedan stopped on Erial Road and captured photos of the front of the school with a phone. The vehicle appears to have a missing front driver's side hubcap.At 1:30 PM, an older white male operating a small red vehicle, possibly a Ford, drove onto the property and circled the rear lot. The vehicle then drives onto the front lot, the male driver exited the vehicle, and appears to be capturing several photos of the school. An unknown passenger was also observed inside the red vehicle.
If you have any information or can identify the vehicles or the occupants, contact the Gloucester Township Police Department's main number at 856-228-4500, or call our GTPD Anonymous Crime Tip Line: 856-842-5560.
Their Facebook page says "NO COMMENTS." I left one anyway, which will probably be deleted:
Ooh, human beings taking photos in a public place! Google this: "The First Amendment."
(In Los Angeles, we call this "scouting locations.")
My Dad is an architect and city planner and often taked picture of parks... I worry this will happen to him
NicoleK at September 29, 2015 11:05 PM
Your comment has been deleted
lujlp at September 30, 2015 12:00 AM
Obviously, the solution is to send the police Google earth pictures of the same school.
The public library will probably have blueprints of the school too.
Radwaste at September 30, 2015 4:13 AM
NicoleK, I've thought of that.
Hilarious, Rad.
Amy Alkon at September 30, 2015 5:37 AM
Paranoid is the right word; especially when dealing with schools.
Several years ago, when I went to vote (the polling place is the local elementary school near me) several of us noticed as we walked up to the front door a sign telling "visitors" to use the side entrance and to sign in.
One of the voters (a middle-aged woman) mentioned the sign so we all walked around to the side door; only to be met by one of the school officials (or was she a teacher?) who started yelling at us that we didn't belong there. Who were we? and what did we want?
I held up my sample ballot (they mail those out to all registered voters) and said that I was here to vote. She continued yelling, telling us to "just leave - You don't belong here."
The cop who, apparently had been inside near the front door came over to see what the commotion was about. He backed her up; telling us that we didn't belong there and that we should just leave. I, again, held up my sample ballot explaining (or trying to anyway) that I was there to vote. His response? "Well, why aren't you going into the polls? Why are you trying to sneak in the side door?"
The one woman said we were just following the sign. The cop would not hear anything we had to say. So, I raised MY voice and said that they were trying to prevent us from voting. Okay, not exactly true; but, it got the cop to listen to us.
When we walked back around to the front I pointed the sign out to the cop. After voting I noticed the sign was taken down when I left.
Asshats!
Like a group of five middle-aged adults are sneaking in to the school to do what exactly? Kidnap a bunch of kids? Really, five of us? in the middle of the day?
Would it have hurt either the school official or the cop to explain, politely that we were at the wrong door? And that the "visitors sign" didn't apply to voters?
As for the guys in that video; I'd venture that the one could also be a real estate agent taking a picture of the local school for a house listing.
charles at September 30, 2015 7:09 AM
I had a FB friend basically do this. Take pictures of a guy's car with license because he was taking pictures of a kids playing at a playground.
I tried to talk some sense but her and her friends were all about the world we live in and you can't be too careful and how she felt good about speaking up about something.
It was pretty scary.
Katrina at September 30, 2015 7:11 AM
I had a FB friend basically do this. Take pictures of a guy's car with license because he was taking pictures of a kids playing at a playground.
I tried to talk some sense but her and her friends were all about the world we live in and you can't be too careful and how she felt good about speaking up about something.
When was it that American parents collectively decided that the rest of us wanted to diddle the kiddles? The 1990s?
Kevin at September 30, 2015 3:28 PM
Like many things Kevin, it came out of the schools. A few loonies started the stranger/danger movement. They preached it in the schools to all parents and kids. And now you have to live with the fallout. Yet another reason I am for vouchers. If you break the national monopoly you limit the range stupid fads like this can affect before they burn themselves out.
Ben at September 30, 2015 6:15 PM
Kevin: 1990s? Nope:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMartin_preschool_trial
This case started back in 1983, it was the most famous of such cases. I am showing my age; but, I remember it (and others) very well.
Sadly, I think, as a society, we have gone down that rabbit hole and will never come out.
Really, it is not much different from the witch trials way back when in old Salem.
charles at September 30, 2015 8:11 PM
#Charles ... funny statement I made in response to the friend...
"Witch hunts are all fun and games until you are the witch."
Katrina at October 1, 2015 7:04 AM
Leave a comment