Anyone have any problems with law enforcement saying you can't dig in the park?

[xQuestx]

Today I was told that I can't dig in our local ball field because of on ordinance the town has against digging, so I sent this email below to the town manager. just wondering if others have had problems like this and if there anything I can do? Thanks.




I have been metal detecting at the ball field for years, and have never had any problems or complaints. Today someone reported to the Police that a male was digging up the field. The person only saw me from a distance and assumed that I was doing damage. The police came to ask me to leave, until they could research the town ordinance, which doesn't really cover what I have been doing. The ordinance reads 144-15 B. Damage to plants: No person shall dig in or otherwise disturb grass areas, or in any other way injure or impair the natural beauty or usefulness of any area. When "digging" a hole for metal detecting, you are actually cutting a horseshoe shaped plug and popping the plug up, using a probe to find the target, then removing the target, and replacing the plug back as it was. After you have stepped on the plug and packed it down you can not even tell where it was. I am not in any way causing damage to the grass or usefulness of the area.. I am not making large cuts, these are small plugs about 5 inches across. Even some of the town garage employees have stopped to talk to me and asked if I am finding anything, never stopping me for any damage being done. The birds are causing more damage to the grass than I would cause.

Does Bar Harbor have metal detecting permits like some other towns I have seen? These permits would grant access for a person to detect in public parks, while ensuring that they are being respectful of the area. I have attached a picture of the area in the ball field where I was removing targets, so you can see that no damage has been done. Also I have attached a link to a video explaining about the right way to cut a plug, and remove a target without damaging the area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EemmbOHr39Y

Could you please let me know your thoughts on this matter, or if there is any additional information I need to know? My wife and I enjoy metal detecting, and would like to know if we would be allowed to continue to do so in this area.

Thank you for your time.

 

[GoVidGo]

Usually it's a combination of two things....

#1 a person who has no idea what you are doing and 'needs to know' and is insecure with anything they dont understand and calls the police....

#2 police who feel they 'have to do something' even tho THEY have no idea what you are doing, or what they should be doing. SO they use their 'badge'. or.. maybe hide behind it.

happened to me once. I went to the county sheriff. I told him what I was doing, and asked if it was OK. He was really cool and said he saw some people here and there with metal detectors (probably me a few times) and said it was OK. I made sure he knew me and chatted enough to hopefully make a rememberance...

next time out, I got questioned. Dropped the sheriff's name, and requested 'please call him.' I got a 'no, it's OK'. which was either... #1 they didn't want to have to answer to their boss, or #2 they didn't want to have to go thru the effort and I might actually know him....

that ended that...

 

[khouse]

Some towns and parks have a provision on the books about disturbing the grounds. This was put in place to stop people from removing flowers,trees, etc. This rule is can easily be adapted in keeping us from digging or popping targets. I firmly believe that when your in the public you should use the smallest tool possible to recover your targets. When people are around move to another area. This will keep most people from being alarmed and calling the police or parks dept.

 

[Ringo853]

interesting.Maybe somebody last year made a mess and didn't fill their holes in properly? In the UK, I pay

 

[xQuestx]

Thanks for the replies, I think it was just a nosy person who reported me with nothing better to do. I've since emailed the parks and recreation to get a "rule" clarification or a rule change. pretty sad when people hitting golf balls and playing soccer are doing more damage then me.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

xquestx, every single park in the USA, everywhere, will always have verbage like that. You know the drill: rules about the vegetation that forbid "defacement" or "vandalism" or "alterations" or "digging" or "removing", etc.... But as your own example shows (that you detected there for years w/o a problem, till some busy-body made a connotation about you)

But THINK about it hard xquestx: all such rules are CLEARLY imply the END result, do they not? In other words, if you leave the area exactly as you found it (no evidence of your having been there), then by simple definition, you have not "defaced" "vandalized" "altered" dug" or "removed" any vegetation, now have you?

Sure there's the temporary evil process of digging/extracting. There's no getting around that. You/we just need to be a little discreet, go at low traffic times, and simply don't be in the middle of deep retrievals when busy-body/lookie-lous are present.

If any of us thinks that these clauses automatically apply to you, then you must give up park/turf hunting right now. Because there is simply no city that's going to tell you "sure, go ahead and dig and destroy the park". It's simply not gonna happen. But as we all know, park hunting goes on all over the place. Sure, sometimes you gotta give lip service, let a place sit dormant for awhile, and ........ next time you go back, just avoid that one busy-body. It's either that, or stick to private property.

 

[Coilfisher]

Well, today when I was in a 100 year old or better park and I had the police pull right up along side me.
Not the first time this happened either.
I just looked up and smiled, and kept on detecting. Sometimes I even wave and say hello.
In about 10 minutes he found something of more importance and off he went lights blazing.
I then cut my plug.
But, they are looking for bad behavior. ex. Shovels and a mess.


Best advice, do not use a shovel or a trowel for that matter. Use a Lesche and a pinpointer. You start bringing shovels into parks and digging-you are going
to get thrown out wherever you are. Kids play ball there, and people are told all the time to keep their dogs off. It is revenge for that I firmly believe.
If he can dig holes--why cant I take my dog there? Problem is noone wants to step in a pile of crap-not even me.
I never dig in the playing field either--that is a big way to get thrown out. That is an absolute rule.
I also notice this time of year people are still a bit on edge from being contained all Winter.
I notice peoples attitudes change as it gets warmer and brighter and are generally easier to talk to.
Stay in the quiet places until the sunshine warms everyone's hearts a bit more.

 

[banditicey]

I have been approached several times by Police and believe it or not always because they were interested in the Hobby

However the grounds people have been reassured when I show them my Trash and commit to covering my holes (and others when I see them)

Sports areas are becoming Taboo especially when it is active because there is concern about a child tripping due to the holes and getting hurt

I will be visiting Boston this weekend and downloaded the rules of the Public Park we will be visiting in case we are approached

Also, I have found chatting up the grounds people or Police has been very helpful especially when you indicate how passionate you are, it is infectious

Good Luck and don't let them keep you Down and Out

 

[ramer]

I never hunt playing fields. It just gives a bad impression that the hole you are diging will trip up some kid resulting in an injury. My philosophy is to never give someone a reason to get upset about my hobby. That's not always easy since it seems some people will look for a reason to get upset about anything at all. I have had cops pull up in patrol cars and observe me for a little while and then they move on. But if the cops got the impression I was "digging" up a playing field I think they would not be too happy and would probably ask me to leave. Also, playing fields seem to be more manicured or better taken care of than the rest of a park in general. Some areas are just off limits in my opinion.

 

[Coilfisher]

I asked police today if a property was publicly owned and then proceeded to tell them I wanted to metal detect it once they confirmed it was.
They told me it was fine to go back there.
It is all in your approach and how you carry yourself.
If you think you can just go in somewhere and do anything like you own it--you are sadly mistaken.
Use your head and detect smart. Use your head and speak with intelligence.
The world is not black and white--It is grey.

 

[Craneman57]

Last year I was detecting in a local park. I got a good signal and was extracting the coin when I had a feeling someone was watching me. I turned around and saw a local policeman standing there with his arms crossed. I asked him did someone complain about me detecting here? He answered no I metal detect too. He also brought some of his finds with him later that week and showed me what he had found. Another time(last year) at the same park, I was detecting and a man came up to me and asked did you dig those holes up by the swing sets? I told him no and I also said I'd like to find out who did it also because their going to ruin it for everybody else. Then I showed what I found(also the can slaw, pop caps, pull tabs, etc. even some keys). Then I asked him to look around and try to find where I dug them. He then said, well I see that it wasn't you. He even asked if he could try the keys on some locks at the park. The man was the custodian.

 

[Raven69]

When I am detecting in a park I use my pro pointer and a screw driver, my predator/lesche only comes out as a last resort.

Last weekend I was in large park I had not hunted before and was in the process of retrieving a target, when I heard a noise and looked up to see a parks person in their golf buggy coming my way. I looked up at him nodded my head and smiled and he did the same without stopping

It was early and I left as people started to arrive to use the park. I believe if you do the right thing and remain reasonably discreet you should be fine. I also make a point of showing people how much trash I have removed when they ask me what I am doing. A little good publicity can't hurt.


HH

Raven

 

[TRUGGS1944]

HERE'S A GOOD ONE! WAS HUNTING AT A FRESH WATER LAKE AND WAS TOLD I HAVE TO HAND OVER EVERYTHING I FIND TO THE TOWN CLERK IT ALL BELONGS TO THEM AND THE NEXT TIME THEY WILL TAKE MY DETECTOR AWAY. NO THIS WASN'T A COP. JUST SOME OLD GUY WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO THAT DAY. LOL

 

[Coilfisher]

Yeah, I run into alot of older people who play games like that.
Usually, I just ignore them.
If they are friendly about it I joke around as well.

Anyone asks me what I find....I just say, "Some old wheat cents." ~Always~
And that is the best advice I can give--that simple phrase.

 

[D&P-OR]

Now that one "takes the cake!!!!----He must've been the town clerk! (or thought he was)

HERE'S A GOOD ONE! WAS HUNTING AT A FRESH WATER LAKE AND WAS TOLD I HAVE TO HAND OVER EVERYTHING I FIND TO THE TOWN CLERK IT ALL BELONGS TO THEM AND THE NEXT TIME THEY WILL TAKE MY DETECTOR AWAY. NO THIS WASN'T A COP. JUST SOME OLD GUY WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO THAT DAY. LOL

 

[Craneman57]

One day I was detecting in a school yard(in the evening). A little girl (probably around 10-12 yrs old) came up to me and asked me "Are you allowed to do that(metal detecting) here? I looked up at her and said yes, I pay taxes on this school. She looked at me and said OK and walked away.