# The police force


So during the weeks I tried for my research to get in contact with the police officers to eventually make a photographic documentary. During this quest I saw more and more the difficulties that the Greek public probably also will encounter in some other way. While I spoke to a couple of policeman at the street, most of them don’t like to even talk to a photographer, but when you then tell that I want to tell a story from there perspective they open up. At my local police station the street officer said that I should talk to his chef, and once entering his office it became all some sort more official. Through my Greek translator I explained what I wanted to do and after explaining I Saw a friendly face appearing on the head of the chef. He was delighted to hear that I wanted to visualize the point of view from a police officer and it seemed he wanted to help me, but all he had in his power was to give me the email address from the press office of the police force.

After repeatedly emailing to the poor English press office I became the illusion that they wanted me to join the police force as a volunteer. I was shocked but partly also excited it seemed there was some progress in my project. Then a week later they replied that there was a misunderstanding and they asked me from which part of the police force I wanted to have a volunteer for my project. The final email I received today after starting to write them on the first day of March. “Unfortunately there is no police officer willing to take part to your photo documentary, from any department of Hellenic Police.” This sounded so strange after the experience that I had with the policeman at my local station and so I cannot stop wondering if they actually tried to find some one, and if so how effective there search method was.

This process gave me the feeling that they just don’t want to take responsibility of taking on this project, and so every person will tell you have to go to some one else…