Either would be a good development. (I know this pun doesn't work quite so well in the era of digital photography ...)
I have argued for this (specifically around the use of stop and search) for years. I almost got a formal scheme off the ground at Brixton when I was there - it wold have involved providing some advice and guidance to those wishing to do it and then providing them with some identification (for showing to police officers) and a direct line number to a senior officer to report concerns - a bit like Independent Custody Visitors, but for the street. Sadly the bosses bottled out ...
People should be encouraged to "supervise" police activity in that way (in a resonsible and non-interventionist fashion) as it is the only effective way of overseeing their activity - their supervisors cannot be with them except for a tiny proportion of the time.
Equally people should be encouraged to do likewise with criminal activity, for exactly the same reason: the police cannot be at the scene of a crime except for a tiny proportion of cases.
) of a Police Cadet unit forming up to take part in an Armed Forces Day parade. I was quickly and aggressively stopped by one of their adult officers asking me who I worked for. I responded that I was a freelance and upon being told I needed parental permission to photograph them, I explained this was a public event in a public place and that I didn’t for editorial use. She then demanded my details and when I declined, I was quickly pulled aside by police officers. Then started recording, see below for the rest. I had my lens covered while trying to photograph my harassment , then told ‘I consider you a threat under the terrorism act’ for photographing a police officer, had my camera taken from around my neck, was detained and frog marched away before being pushed down some stairs and told they were concerned for my safety.
