should i phone police?

Question

had party for 5 year old daughter got bouncy castle in garden while the children were playing on it they pointed out they were being filmed by a neibour behind my home i went out to see a hand and camcorder over fence before vanishing inside there home

Answer 1

"Should i phone the police? : Had party for 5 year old daughter... got bouncy castle in garden... while the children were playing on it they pointed out they were being filmed by a neighbor behind my home... i went out to see a hand and camcorder over fence before they vanished inside their home."

The quick answer to your question-- despite the very many answers to the contrary-- is "No, not at first."

You can't actually demonstrate to the police that there is some potential danger or that a criminal offense has taken place-- even if everything you say is true and accurate.

You don't have an expectation of privacy for what goes on in your backyard, so there has been no invasion of privacy of either a criminal or civil nature. It is also not illegal to make or possess video recordings of children playing (and I must assume they were fully clothed)-- even on a "Bouncy Castle"-- so your neighbor has committed no crime there. All that's happened is something that appears "creepy."

Maybe your neighbor is making a neighborhood documentary. Or maybe your neighbor is planning to file a civil suit against you because you throw large and noisy parties that go late into the night, and the recording was an attempt to gather evidence of that. Maybe your neighbor is a bird watcher and was taking video of a rare species of bird that flew from his yard into your yard.

If you have other information that you didn't share with us-- that the neighbor is a registered sex offender, for example-- then you might have cause to contact the local police, even immediately. Otherwise, you should take a calm friend or two with you over to the neighbor's house, introduce yourselves if you don't already know the neighbor, and politely ask why someone in your neighbor's yard was taking video of your child's birthday party. If you expect there might be trouble, you can call the local police to help facilitate such an information gathering (and the police will probably do all the talking if they do decide to get involved).

Regardless of the outcome of that exchange, be more vigilant at least for awhile: Keep a reasonable eye out on your neighbor for anything prompting you to feel uneasy or concerned again and go from there.

[This is not legal advice. You should consult a licensed attorney-at-law for legal advice and representation before making decisions that may affect your legal rights.]

Answer 2

Yes I would phone the police, at the end of the day its horrible but paedophiles live among everyone else, and nobody would know what they are. Why would someone secretly film that? It wouldnt be for any other reason that I can think of. If you know which house the person was filming from then the police might be able to do something about it.

Answer 3

Yes, phone the police asap and tell them that you are concerned about this person's behaviour and the circumstances. At minimum they should go and speak to him/her.

If the person was leaning over your fence then you may have a case in trespass, however privacy is still a dodgy area of law to take through the courts. It is still being established at common law as there are no privacy laws in the UK at this time.

In saying that the case of Douglas v Hello Magazine was successfully taken through the courts. Your circumstances are very similar.

Good luck.

Answer 4

I would go and ask what they were at accompanied by your partner and if the answer was one that appeared insufficient then speak to the police and inform them of your concerns. It may be that it is innocent but when you have others kids at the party and they were also filmed then you must be sure it is an innocent occurrence.

Answer 5

In this crazy day and age yes this could make him worse
phone the police
to be honest why do you need others to tell you this
do you think its normal for a neighbour to film your daughter

Answer 6

Because you're asking the question that tells me that something about that makes you uncomfortable. You should report it. At the very least, if the person is a pedophile, then that should make him aware that he's on the radar. If he's not, then it'll teach him a lesson about spying. Either way, your privacy was invaded so the neighbor needs to be aware that you consider that unacceptable.

Answer 7

If you feel they this person is taking pictures of your children without your consent, then you should report it to the police. They should investigate the matter to see if an offence has been committed. If the person involved is innocent they should not mind any investigation. It is always better to err on the side of caution.

Answer 8

Do not instigate any neibourhood actions, do not try to confront the guy yourself. Go to police, being as calm, as level-headed and reasonable yet forceful as you can when asking for their help. At least here in Britain they take these things very seriously and professionally.

I truly hope for you it is nothing too serious.

Answer 9

Without doubt. If all is innocent then no problem. If there is rightful cause for concern then you will always regret if you do not alert the authorities.

The person you will be reporting will understand if there is no challenges and you will know that you have done the right thing.

Good Luck.

Answer 10

Simple answer is yes report it. If something happens in the future and i hope it does not then the police have it on record, this may help a future investigation.