Documenting Illegal Activity...

The Police in Bradford, a nearby city prone to riots, in recent years have got court-orders to seize film or files from anyone they can find photographing the miscreants.
Some of the rioters got 12 years on the strength of their photos, one can imagine how thrilled they are to see a photographer now.
 
Dear Stewart,

It is frightening how many policemen, even in a so-called liberal democracy, not only fail to see the advantage of a free press but do everything in their power to destroy it.

Cheers,

Roger
 
It caused a lot of ill feeling between the factions, I tossed my film in the bin that year, 2002 or 3 I think and haven’t bothered since. I was too old for that stuff anyway.

Back then people trusted the police more and simply handed everything over, without thinking about the consequences for the most part, even the local press who should have known better just rolled over
 
Pablito said:
No matter how careful, there can be reasons to "get even" that you might never think of or understand, no matter how respectful or honest you are. See the link I posed above, and read the text. The photographer / film maker's got killed even though he was intimately familiar with the territory.
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Pablito: I had read the article about violent Guatemalan gangs before I posted my comment about no one having an reason to "get even". I thought about the differentiation them but elected not to try to explain it.

We are simply referring to grossly different people and situations. I am not bold enough to try to photograph a violent Central American gang. But plain old prostitutes, drug users and low level street corner drug dealers are different. They are non violent people that just require a bit of respect and common sense. Plus they are business people and know that any problems are very bad for business.
 
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Here is Gabe Jones of South Apopka, a low level street corner crack cocaine dealer. It is no secret, he admits it, law enforcement knows, everyone in town knows. He does get arrested occasionally but jails are overcrowded and he is non violent so he gets a short sentence and they turn him out.

Gabe has a very long rap sheet but mostly all non violent things. He did serve time for murder but that was long ago for killing a man who beat up his grandmother.

Now I would not give Gabe the key to our house and ask him to water the plants while we were out of town, but he has spoken up for me when someone else began to hassle me.

The local citizenry thinks it is sad that Gabe let his life go this way. They are not happy about the drug dealers. But I have been there when the ladies at the church across the street brought him a plate lunch when they were cooking.

I have been hassled twice on this corner. Once by the Apopka Police Dept. and once by the Orange County Sheriff Dept. Both times I was pleasant and responsive but simply held my ground explaining that I was a photographer, not a customer. I do carry a folder of newspaper articles about my photo series there as well as invitations to exhibits of my work.

When I gave Gabe an archival 8x10 print of this photo, he proudly showed it to everyone around. Then he neatly folded it into quarters and put it in his hip pocket.
 
Thanks for that last post, Bob. Back in the day, I was on the board of directors MARONA, of a heroin half-way house in Gary, Indiana. Shot many pix of the 'members" or residents, in house and on the streets. My reaction was like yours. But I agree, don't do stupid.
 
Creagerj said:
Are you sure you found the Joe Creager that is actually me? PM me the phone number and address you found, I'd be interested to find out.
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Actually, Joe, I was exaggerating a bit to make a point. There are lots of Joe Creagers on the WWW. You could be one of them; you could be two of them for all I know. I'm not sure exactly which one is you and which one is an imposter, or your father, or grandfather, or twin-brother.

Weirder things have happened than getting tracked down by an angry drug-crazed person. I was once "tracked down" by a debt collector and harrassed for weeks (he even threatened my wife and kids). Only after police got involved did he slow down to hear that there is someone else in my town with the same name as me... and the "other guy" was the one with debt and bad credit. The world is not a very private place anymore.
 
Bob Michaels said:
Here is Gabe ...
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When one gets to hear the story, not just see the picture... a very different image emerges. There are a billion "Gabes" out there. He's probably not really a bad guy but has certainly had some bad breaks, or made bad decisions, and now lives the life you described.

That was a very good example of how to shoot pics of thehomeless and other disenfranchised people, Bob... it gives him the dignity he deserves.

That said, however... not all disenfranchised people deserve that dignity as some are heinous criminals with no consciounce, and a scourge to our society.
 
"...as some are heinous criminals with no consciounce, and a scourge to our society."

that label could apply to a whole lot of folks. lawyers, accountants, police, politicians etc etc etc
 
not at all.

i spent the greater part of my life living in one of the worst neighborhoods in north america when it comes to addiction and drug use. i have also worked on numerous projects within that world and i guess what i have learned (and i also guess my point) is that there is a very, very broad spectrum of folks there. forget everything you think you know and keep your mind (and your eyes) open and you will meet some great and interesting people.

now those mary jane smokers? beware!
 
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emraphoto said:
<snip> i have also worked on numerous projects within that world and i guess what i have learned (and i also guess my point) is that there is a very, very broad spectrum of folks there. forget everything you think you know and keep your mind (and your eyes) open and you will meet some great and interesting people.
<snip>
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I find that my photography is the great social lubricant to allow me access to the large part of US culture that does not fit in my every day work, family, or social spectrum. I can quickly be in a new cultural environment that many need a passport and overseas plane ride to experience.

You are right on point that one needs to forget all of their preconceived notions. Especially if we live in a typical sterile environment. We find sex workers that view their jobs just the same as others view theirs. We find grossly obese women in bathing suits that are oblivious to that fact. We find people that making a living standing on corners with signs saying "need help" that are about as normal as some in our office. Maybe it is meeting a nun who is struggling to overcome alcoholism.

Yes, we learn that our traditional value judgments worked for us but certainly are not universal. Then we learn there is a another world out there that is different but really basically similar to our own.
 
Note to self...

Note to self...

Bob has a charm and his point is easy to understand: make a relationship, then take pictures of illegal activities with mutual consent. Today I tried the opposite: take a picture of someone committing an illegal activity THEN bond. It didn't work so well. I saw a couple of guys parked in a red zone while posting illegal ads. So armed with a desire to fit in better here at RFF I tried my luck at street photography. I parked and walked up the sidewalk and shot a pic of the license plate. Guess what happened next?
 
If you want to see the most brutally honest and deeply troubling photographs of drug users that are sucked into a hellish life, find a copy of Cocaine True, Cocaine Blue by Eugene Richards. ISBN: 0893816876 / 0-89381-687-6
The trust he gained with his subjects is almost unimaginable. I could tell you about the book and its contents but you really have see the images to understand their power. I have said before on this forum, I think Eugene Richards (a Leica shooter) has incredible emotional strength.
 
Al Kaplan said:
I've had the crap beat out of me a few times. Goes with the territory.
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Fortunately for me... this guy was self-conscious and only mildly upset. He blocked my path on the sidewalk but stepped aside when I politely asked him to get out of my way. Then he told me that he'd call the cops on me, but changed his tune when I said "OK, I'll wait".
 
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