Run-ins With The Authorities?

[OxShoeDrew]

It was -13 the other day and we got over a foot of snow...so detecting is off the docket.
Chris Digger_O'Dell told a funny story today about the police interrupting his frozen water hunt.

http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/showthread.php?21517-Water-hunt-cut-short-by-police!

So I was wondering if others had police involved with their hunts. I know I have.

My fav run-in was showing up at a local school to find 12 state troopers surrounding the building. As soon as I saw them I turned around to head out. I figured there was a break-in and they didn't need me around detecting. 3 cars put their lights on and stopped me. License and reg handed over. They asked what I was doing there and I told them I was going to detect. After 10 min the officer told me my "friend was in the back" and that I could carry on detecting. I asked him what he meant...he said there was ANOTHER DETECTORIST behind the school (who was giving the police trouble) and they thought I was his friend! One of the few detectorists I've ever encountered at a site. I just took off.

You folks have stories?

[Tony Two-Cent]

I had one very unpleasant encounter with the police which I have shared with the staff but not in the public area of the forum. This happened to me in January of 2015 and really upset me at the time. Copied and pasted from my original post to the staff:

(Sorry this is so long, but it's hard to tell it in abbreviated form.)

A cautionary tale for myself, I guess, although maybe we can all learn something from it. I didn't want to post this in the public area of the forum, because I always try to be a positive ambassador for the hobby and not post anything negative or controversial.

So anyway, I went detecting yesterday at two different parks. The second park was in a very small town that I had never been to before. (Population 300.) When I arrived at this second park it was deserted except for three young girls who were swinging on the swings. As always, I stayed as far away from them as possible. I don't want to make anyone nervous with my activities, plus the kids often approach me and become a distraction. The swings are on the north side of the park so I kept to the south side.

I would guess the ages of the three girls at about 7, 10 and 12. After a while I noticed that they had moved to a tot lot play area on the east side of the park, so I ventured up the west edge of the park to the northwest corner. As I was digging a target (a worthless metal button) I looked up and saw that the three girls were running towards me. They sat on a park bench about 10 feet away from me, and one of them asked me what I was looking for. I answered that I was mostly looking for old coins.

They asked if they could watch and I said that's fine. They followed me around for about an hour, each taking turns stomping on the plugs after I had retrieved the target. They were friendly and polite, so I didn't mind them hanging around too much.

When I found an 1893 Indian Head I got out my video camera so I could film it. I kept the camera aimed at the coin in my hand, taking great care to NOT get the girls in the video. When I was done filming the oldest girl asked me if I had a YouTube channel, and I answered yes. She asked me the name of my channel and I told her Tony Two-Cent. She asked my how many subscribers I had and I answered about 1200. She seemed to be very familiar with YouTube.

They watched me for another 15 minutes or so and then lost interest and ran off to play. After a while a vehicle pulled up and a woman got out and told them they had to go home now. They all got in the car and left.

About 30 minutes later I noticed that a vehicle had pulled up and parked in front of my car. I didn't think anything of it, but after a while I noticed that there was a man standing beside that vehicle and he seemed to be watching me. It was a white SUV and he was standing on the other side of it, but he was peeking over the top of it. No matter where I went in the park, when I looked over there it seemed that he was staring at me. I thought it was strange but I just kept detecting.

That's when I looked up and noticed a sheriff's squad car approaching me. The officer stopped near me and motioned for me to come over. I took off my headphones and he said, "How's it going?" I simply answered "good".

He said, "We had a complaint from a parent who told us you were videoing their girls and you said you were going to put them on YouTube". I told him that was absolutely not true, I never said I was going to put them on YouTube. He asked if I was video taping and I said yes I had been, but I had been very careful NOT to get the girls in the video. He asked me why I had approached the girls and I told him that I had not approached them, they approached me, and in fact before they ran up to me I was taking care to keep my distance from them. I stressed again that I had been extremely careful NOT to get the girls in the video, and I had definitely NOT told them I was going to put them on YouTube, and that I would NEVER do that.

He took my name, date of birth, address, etc. and ran it through his computer. He asked me what I was doing in Woodson if I was from Monticello. I explained to him that I go metal detecting all over central Illinois.

He asked if I had the camera on me and could he see the video I had taken.
I told him yes, I have the camera right here. I cued up the videos I had taken that day (there were only 5 short ones) and we watched them together. He saw that I was telling the truth, the girls were not visible in the video at all. He saw the footage of the 1893 Indian Head and he said, "Wow, you found a coin from 1893 here?" At that point I could tell that his demeanor had changed. I told him yes, it was an 1893 Indian Head cent.

He then explained that it is a small town and people are wary of strangers, and the parents were just concerned. I told him that I understood perfectly. He then wished me good luck and drove away.

I don't really handle confrontation too well and I was pretty shaken by this encounter. However, I decided to stay and keep detecting because I thought it might make me look guilty if I immediately went slinking off. I honestly felt that I had done nothing wrong and I felt that if I stayed and continued detecting it would emphasize that fact.

Even though I felt that I had done nothing wrong, and the officer eventually agreed, I will definitely handle things differently in the future. It is not in my nature to tell the kids that they have to stay away from me, it's a public park and they have just as much of a right to be there as I do. However, from now on when there are kids are around the video camera will stay in my pocket.

Thanks for enduring this long tale, but I needed to get it out of my system and I thought we could all learn to be more cautious.

[Lodge Scent]

Crikey Tony! That truly is frightening. You are doing absolutely nothing wrong and you get suspected of being some kind of creep! People can be real jerks. Maybe that's why I hunt in the woods.

My only run in with the law was when I met an off duty police officer taking down his tree stand near one of my sites. Pleasant fellow.

[Digger_O'Dell]

Tony, I saw right away where that was going. The way things are in this day and age I always get nervous when kids start hanging around me, even though its usually fine and the well behaved young ones go away with some "treasure" of their own.
Besides today's little adventure, I've had numerous run ins with the law while out detecting. One town was for being "suspicious" in the park, another was a public place that was a site recently acquired by the state thus making it illegal to hunt. That one was unmarked yet so got away with just a warning. Several times in a local park because "the only reason to be there is drug dealing or other gang activity". I've even had police just come up to see what I've found and to chat for a while, probably because they were bored.
Yeah, I still get nervous when I see cops pull up especially when in a new town. But I've found it's usually not much of an issue if I'm just up front with them and talk to them like any other curious onlooker. Turns out almost every time they show up is because some nosy busybody calls them with highly exaggerated claims of criminal (or insanity related) activities of fantastical proportions.
On the plus side, when I beach hunt on summer mornings, I now usually have 2 or 3 Milwaukee police vehicles greet me in the parking lot with 2 cops each. They know about the time I leave and all want to see the days haul. The looks i get from all the passers by while im surrounded by a gaggle of cops in the beach parking lot is priceless!

[del]

Tony , hearing this story again is just as scary as the first time :shocked05:


I've been lucky enough :rolleyes: to be on the radar the law a few times :lol:.

Once was at a local elementary school yard one day when the school is closed down for the summer ( the only time I hit a school field ) and after a few hours of finding a lot of clad I see a police car drive to the back where I was at. He was quite a few hundreds of yards away and I try not to make it obvious that I see him and he sat in his car the whole time until I made my way closer to him . At that point he steps out and asks me if I been here a while to which I said yes , He then tells me he had a call from one of the surrounding homes of a "suspicious looking person" at the school . I told him I've been told I look suspicious metal detecting at times :lol: He got a chuckle from that and then asked if I found anything and I shown him all the clad and my first barber quarter I ever found 1916 , he was impressed and said good luck and then drove off .

The few other times it was brushes with Forest or wildlife game wardens and most the time they come on very strong or aggressive reading the riot act but once they realized that I wasn't there illegally hunting , dumping , feeding deer or cutting brush they cooled downed got more friendly , thought the hobby was cool and even told me where more cellar sites were :lol: .

[Bucknut]

I have had 3 run ins with the police. 2 of those 3 were times when I was kicked out of a place that I legally could detect but because I am a lover and not a fighter I simple left (ssshhhh I have/will go back to detect after giving it a year or two off. Shhh).

My biggest run in was 3 summers ago when I took my 2 boys to an old school that I have detected 20 times previously. But this time a neighbor was concerned and called the cops. So 2 police cars show up and talked to me asking what I am doing (as if they can't tell). I was very polite to them and they soon realized that I was doing nothing wrong. So they hung out for 20 minutes as my boys and I detected. In the end it was a good experience for me and the boys.

My advice to everyone (and I am sure you all already know this) is to give the cops your utmost respect. They deal with a bunch of crap that most of us do not want to even know about. So be cool to them and they will be cool to you.

[Digger Don]

I've had the cops called on me a couple of times while hunting parks. The cops are always cool once they see what I'm doing.
Once Daddy Digger and I had a cop called on us while we were hunting a permision. Appearently a neighbor called on us for no apparent reason.
We were then told we had to have a permit to knock on doors for any reason. I have never been back to Dwight, il. since.

When ever I see a cop driving by, I always make a point of making eye contact and nodding hello. They just wave and keep on driving!!

[OxShoeDrew]

WOW...I knew there was lots of stories out there considering our group of malcontents :lol:
Dan and Jeff, remember the guy with the shotgun just staring at us?!

[Digger_O'Dell]

Don, Dwight Il. sounds like a real fun town. Can't knock on doors for any readon? Wonder how many girl scouts they arrest each year for selling cookies? Better yet, I bet trick or treat must be a hoot. Scariest monster in town probably that cop! LOL

[del]

WOW...I knew there was lots of stories out there considering our group of malcontents :lol:
Dan and Jeff, remember the guy with the shotgun just staring at us?!

I sure do , I at first thought it was Jeff with his machine held over his shoulder until I got real close the realized it was a rifle or shotgun !:shocked03: Jeff got his nice counterfeit Connecticut there . I've been back a couple of more time and picked up another coin or two and buttons but that day was a weird one !:lol:

[Digger Don]

Don, Dwight Il. sounds like a real fun town. Can't knock on doors for any readon? Wonder how many girl scouts they arrest each year for selling cookies? Better yet, I bet trick or treat must be a hoot. Scariest monster in town probably that cop! LOL
All the parks in town are posted " NO METAL DETECTING ALLOWED"
I have detected there before that day with no issues, I think the cop new the old guy that called on us. Either way, they can kiss my ass. there are plenty of towns with nice people in them.

[Digger_O'Dell]

I've run into a lot of those no metal detecting towns, mostly in Illinois. I figured there must have been a reason for this, and speaking with a local one time I got one reason. Seems in that particular region in years past they had at least one unknown person digging up the parks, damaging the area, leaving open holes, etc. All the things we as responsible folks don't do. That's what prompted those laws there. I'm sure it's the same story in most anti detecting areas.
The story I got out of Cook county is their ban came from the local "club" digging up greens at the county golf courses. It only takes one idiot to screw it up for everyone. When you have a group of them, well....

[Lodge Scent]

I sure do , I at first thought it was Jeff with his machine held over his shoulder until I got real close the realized it was a rifle or shotgun !:shocked03: Jeff got his nice counterfeit Connecticut there . I've been back a couple of more time and picked up another coin or two and buttons but that day was a weird one !:lol:

HA! That's right Drew! I had forgot about that jerk with the shotgun. Tough guy not saying a word and trying to stare us into submission.

I think we all managed a copper that cold day Dan. And of course Dan's finds pouch was overflowing with a couple of dozen shoe buckles. :envious:

[Donnie B]

I've only had two encounters with the cops and that was when I first started detecting 23 years ago. My first encounter was within five minutes of deciding to detect the baseball field. Someone called the cops and I was told to leave. The second one was when I heard there was a tavern that had been located in the State Park. Ranger sees me heading for the tavern site and tells me no detecting in the park. After that, I found yards to detect in before moving to the fields and woods. I haven't detected in a park since then.

[Full Metal Digger]

Yeah, Don and I boycott Dwight, IL now. I won't get gas there or eat at any of the restaurants. I know they don't care, or even miss my money but it's the point of it I guess. I have had the cops called on me a couple times but without incident. Don and I were road-tripping and had a permission in someone's yard (1866 house) and the cop stopped and asked if we had permission. He said someone called the station. We said yes but he went up and knocked on the door to confirm with the home-owner. I'm still convinced it was the nosey lady next door who called on us! Don didn't think it was her though.

[BKM]

I've only had two encounters with law enforcement.

The first time I was hunting a curb tear out with Oxshoedrew and the locals showed up becasue someone called about two guys with big knives, our Lesche diggers. The cop was just stopping in because someone called, he said, "I don't care what you do" and headed on his way.

The other was a couple of weeks ago I was hunting a farm -with permission of the owner- when two cruisers came onto the property. I started to laugh and put my gear down and walked towards the officers. As I approached I said, "nosey neighbors huh" and told him that we were ther with permission of the (semi famous local) owner. The officer just asked to see an ID and said have a good day.

[Digger_O'Dell]

Nosey neighbors and people with hyperactive imaginations are real pains, second only to cops with the hitler complex.

[OxShoeDrew]

I've only had two encounters with law enforcement.

The first time I was hunting a curb tear out with Oxshoedrew and the locals showed up becasue someone called about two guys with big knives, our Lesche diggers. The cop was just stopping in because someone called, he said, "I don't care what you do" and headed on his way.
:lol: I forgot about that! That was my only tear-out experience...kinda spooked me from trying it again. Milco has made a career doing it! Hope you are well...are you getting out? Beach hunting maybe?

[aloldstuff]

Yes, RobW and myself have had several run ins with the law. Every time mostly because of the noisy neighbor. One particular day I was by myself in the senior housing area of which I had gotten permission from the director of Senior housing. My old time buddy lived there and he had a police scanner. So I was basically across from his unit and I hear this lady saying or should I say shouting " I don't think he should be here on "state" land and doing what he is doing"...I ignore her and continue on my way when my buddy shouts over to me that the police would be here soon. Seems the loud mouthed lady called and described me as "possible hispanic" over the scanner. Now I am 100% German. So I waited by the curb, the police show up and I asked if he would like to see an ID. He said no and asked if I had found anything good. I replied "not yet". The officer then said good luck and have fun then drove off. Well I just had to go over to the loud mouthed ladies unit and detect, don't know why but it felt really good.

[OxShoeDrew]

Al, that reminds me of just last year when you were approached by those town workers...then you called me over....I thought we were given the boot...only to hear they gave us permission to hit the 19th century church next door!! They must give EVERYONE permission though as the place was pounded :lol:

[aloldstuff]

Yes Drew, it was like they used us to remove the buried trash....:lol:. I would also like to add that Rob and I have called the police when we find old needles.

[OxShoeDrew]

I once found about 40 needles and other drug paraphernalia, called the police, they told me to just discard it. I was shocked.