A man who has been taking pictures of little kids he doesn’t know at an Okanagan Lake beach is allowed to, say police.
A parent sounded the alarm about a man with grey hair who verbally abused her after she told him to not take pictures of her toddler-aged daughter. He said he was ‘allowed to take pictures of any pretty little girl.’
When the confrontation allegedly got aggressive others at the beach stepped in. Police were called to that incident.
A week or so later, another woman had an encounter with the same man at the Canco in Penticton and he wanted to take pictures of her two-and-a-half-year-old son. She commented that he was acting really odd.
RCMP Cpl. James Grandy confirmed that officers have spoken with the man and all parties involved in the first incident at the beach.
“It’s not illegal to take photographs of people in a public space, including those that may include children,” said Grandy. “That being said, in order to address any public safety concerns, and to clarify the circumstances of each such case, police require the public’s assistance.”
So, what should parents do if they encounter a situation of a stranger taking pictures of their children?
“RCMP advises parents to monitor their surroundings when in public with their children, and to contact them should they see anything of concern,” said Grandy.
READ MORE: 3 hour standoff leads to arrest of man on Penticton warrants
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
<>Don’t miss a single story and get them delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up today for the Penticton Western News Newsletter.
<>@PentictonNews
newstips@pentictonwesternnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
