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Detecting and the LAW. Got any arrest stories?

G

GimmieThe Loot

Member
I'm curious to hear about your run-ins with the law or park officials, rangers, etc... Sometimes I cannot find any info about a certain area and have no clue if it is legal to MD there. I wonder if I got caught, would I be arrested or have my MD impounded?
 
I've never had any with the police but a couple of parks I detect in have rules posted, one of them being "no excavating". I detect in them anyway since I don't really "dig". I figure if they don't like it they would simply tell me to leave. A few cop cars have driven by and never stopped so I figure it's cool. I suppose they could be crappy if they wanted to be (some cops can have pretty big egos) but most that I have delt with are just everyday Joe's and as long as your not being a jerk they will leave you alone or have you tell them all about your machine and how it works.
 
Gimmie, you say that sometimes you "cannot find any info" on whether certain parks are "legal to MD there". I assume this means you checked the park's rules (usually available at the city website, or on the wooden sign at the entrance, or the brochure they pass out at the pay-booth, etc...), and found nothing addressing the issue, right? Then if it is silent on the issue, I have never heard of any "arrests" type stuff. If it is not specifically prohibited, wouldn't that be like getting a ticket for making a U-turn where there was nothing prohibiting U-turns?

But here's the rub: Naturally ANYONE can be a busy-body. There are other rules someone could morph to apply to you. Like "no collecting" for example, which is normally a rule in every park, everywhere, so as to prohibit people from backing up their pickup truck and helping themselves to the sod, flowers, sand harvesting, etc.... for personal gain. Or the dreaded "digging" or "defacement" type clauses. Heck, you might do nothing more than jab a screw-driver probe for surface clad, and some busy-body could try to say you're "destructing" things.

It's odd how arrests, confiscations, jail, etc.... get bandied about as things to fear, and reasons to assume we need to cower and ask permission where detecting is not specifically dis-allowed. Yet when you ask those people for examples of any such arrests, it grows strangely silent. If there are any "arrest" or "ticket" stories, it's usally someone sneaking obvious historic monuments, posted sites, or someone who couldn't take a warning. If there are any examples of someone getting hassled legally for detecting innocuous non-posted, silent-on-issue parks, I would say that's the EXTREME exception. I mean: so too do you occasionally hear about some motorist being roughed up by an over-zealous cop, for nothing but a tail-light out, right?

I'm about as brazen as they come. When I travel to other cities, unless there's something right on the sign at the entrance, I assume I'm ok, until told otherwise. I've had this attitude for 30+ yrs. and never had any tickets, arrests, problems, etc... Sure now and then you get a busy-body. So what?

I also generally hunt at off-low-traffic times, so as to avoid busy-bodies, to begin with. Like, if you see that's park maintenance day, pick another park that day, etc.... Because let's face it: we're in an odd-hobby that "sticks out". When people see the guy "swinging that geiger-counter thing", they ask themselves "just what is he doing?" "is he going to hurt the grass?" "is that allowed?" etc... So if you go at off-times (early AM's, after 5pm, etc...) you will not make yourself an object of attention, to begin with.
 
I live in Mass. and have been thrown out of 2 parks by the cops.They refused to listen to me about the laws.
They said I was destroying public property, and I told them" show me ONE hole that I made in the ground"
and they looked in fustration because I cover and fluff the plugs I dig up.So they couldnt find one.....
That made them even mader and one even threatened me with arrest.I told him "try it"and I will have your badge for false arrest.
then he backed off. The other one said I was carrying a dangerous weapon (my hunting knife) .So I showed him my concealed gun license.
But still in one town near me The police wont let anyone detect in that town (everything is historic).
And in another city the mayor of the town threw me out of a park.

Since then I now carry the Massachusetts laws and with me showing there are NO laws in this state against metal detecting,it seems it is up to each town .
So now I call the police stations in the town I am going in and tell them I am going metal detecting.So far no more problems.....John.............
 
Offer them a donut and coffee , a bribe goes a long way I always show them the trash I,m cleaning up and they like that carry doggy treats for Dogs and donuts for cops it keeps them both happy
 
:usaflag:I don't have any arrest stories. But the other day I decided to try a public beach close to home. There is a state-run campground next to the beach and during the summer there is usually a resident caretaker for that. There was'nt a soul around...mainly because there is still ice on the lakes. Anyways...the beach is maintained by the DNR (Department of Natural Resources)...as evidenced by the sign that had certain rules..ie: No lifegaurd on duty..no pets..no glass..etc. Nothing about digging or metal detecting so I headed out and swung for about 15 minutes...did'nt find a thing except one nail. My problem was that I was constantly looking over my shoulder to see if anyone was going to drive in and see me....I could'nt shake that uneasy feeling..so I left. Later..people were telling me that it's "my beach"...I pay taxes for it..so nobody can tell me I'm not supposed to be there. Who knows..maybe I should do some research and find out. Either way...it seemed to me that the place had already been pillaged by another MD'er....or maybe I was too paranoid to concentrate on the job at hand.
 
I have tattoos sleeves on both arms.. I have been hassled by the cops when I have on tank tops. I usually wear long sleeves when I can and it cuts down on them bothering me. I did take a trip out to Mass. and while going through Maryland, We called the police and ask about detecting and was told absolutely not!...We left that town quick! I always get permission before I go unless its a public spot and not state owned. Anything state owned in Indiana is off limits except for the beach area. There is a spot that is state owned that I am wanting to hunt now that they are cutting out trees and digging it up to put in buildings and stuff and when I ask about detecting it, I was told no because it is a preserve and its protected! I guess its protected from everyone except them!
 
I live right down the street from a playground and thought I would go and look and see what I could find. While I was there a Police car pulled in and stopped and after a minute or so, he got out and walked up to me. I thought "Oh no, he's going to tell me to leave" but the first thing out of his mouth was "Is that a XL PRO"? I told him yes it was. He ask where did I find it as he's been looking everywhere for one. Told him how I came about getting mine, from a member here on Find"s. He was trying to buy it from me or to trade machines. Told him I just received this and as hard as they are to find, think I'd hang on to it. Let him use it for a few minutes until he had to leave on a call. This happened last May.
 
I saw a woman detecting a school playground one day, right after I bought my first detector. During our conversation she told me that she had been arrested at a nearby State Park because she did not have a permit. A few months later I stopped at different State
Park, to get a permit for it. The Head Park Ranger and another Ranger were both in the office when I got there. When I told them what I wanted the regular Ranger said to his boss, "They have to have a permit?"

Locally the county Sheriff asked me to leave a county owned location, because the county board didn't want people detecting county property. So I asked the county board President about it and he said they didn't have a problem with it. Apparently the Sheriff did.
 
Good stories... it seems like its all up to the cop and if he is having a bad day or not. I called my town police department and nobody knew what metal detecting was. They thought I wanted to put a walk through metal detector like in the airports in my local park!! HAha. She said I couldn't install a perminant fixture over the sidewalk. Anyways - after I told them what I really meant, they just said don't be digging up big holes in the park and destroying the property.
 
Only problem I've had to date was from an Army Corp of Engineers Ranger while detecting a beach along the Snake River in Washington State. Just made sure that I knew that if I were to find something over $25 in value I was supposed to turn it in to their office and not to leave any holes in the sand. Now this was soft, dry sand, nearly impossible to dig a true hole in the first place, but I went along with what he said anyway and he wandered off. I always look for rules concerning metal detecting if there are rules posted and if nothing is written, I figure at worst I'll be told/asked to leave, but that's never happened so far.
BB
 
I've been checked for my permit at a local park system but other than that never been kicked out of a public place. I'm more worried about the public than I am the cops. Always keep an eye over your shoulder because I bet many muggers feel somebody wearing headphones can't hear them sneaking up. I did get kicked out of an empty lot that has sat that way for about 30 years. It's on a corner and I always felt it was city owned due to a tax lean or something. Never any signs on it for anything over the years. So last summer I decide to hit it and within ten minutes a guy pulls up in a truck and says "you'll have to leave because I own this lot". He then drives off as I pack up. I get the feeling he's another guy detecting who wants me to stay off his turf and not really the owner, but I wasn't going to argue without having more solid information to back me up.

I knew a guy who hunted woods in a federal historic area and got a fine for it. He thought this area was just part of the regular park system run by the city. Some is and some isn't, so make sure you know the lay out of certain areas. Bad thing was he had a few coins I him I think that were from a prior hunt. When the cop asked if he had anything on him that he recovered he said no rather than have to explain and convince to him that those coins were from elsewhere. He said he was real worried he was going to get searched and then he'd really be in trouble.

My main thing is I don't want any kids near me. In this day and age having some kids follow you around could lead to people having the wrong impression on what you are trying to do with that strange machine of yours. Once kids approach I leave the area and pretend I can't hear there questions due to my headphones. I read somewhere once where a guy detecting was accused of being a child molester by some adults nearby who probably figured they'd scare up some trouble for somebody hunting "their" personal park. Some people are that way. They won't think twice about letting their dog poop and not pick it up but if they see you dig one hole they get all bent out of shape. I always try to keep my back to the road or any nearby people so they can't see me digging or probing for the target, and try to probe rather than dig as much as possible. I also fear a cop or ranger driving by and seeing that, so I keep my back to the road when recovering targets. I'm not saying you should run from trouble, but I am saying you should try to avoid it by doing the little things.
 
Oh, also a few months back I was hunting a small park about the size of a small house lot and a cop came up and said he got some phone calls from nearby houses. I explained about how we recover targets and he was fine with that so long as we are filling our holes properly and stepping on the plugs when we had to dig. NEVER give a cop an attitude. It's just not worth it and you are not going to win that battle. Throw in some a "Sir" here and there when you talk to them right away and they like being respected and will change their mood if they had intended to give you a hard time. Or, carry around some coupons for Dunkin Donuts. :lmfao:
 
Our metal detecting club (West Coasters) often helps police investigators at crime scenes looking for shell casings, weapons, whatever. They have their own metal detectors, but as you are all aware, the machine is only as good as the user, and they do not have the md'ing expertise of someone who uses it day after day. So, our club volunteers to assist when called. We only mark the targets (don't attempt to recover them) and leave it to the CSI cops to recover the target. This is good P.R. and as a result police officers have become aware of our help and generally don't hassel us. Another good P.R. technique is to show parents the junk you've taken out of the park sandbox where their kids are playing - especially if it includes (as it frequently does) dangerous items like nails and razor blades. I have been asked on several occasions how much the city paid me to do that work... lol
 
Good stories guys! I'm glad this topic has had some responses. I hunted a park yesterday and was a little worried about cops... but the longer we were there the less I cared. I did have my first kid come asking what I was doing. He was 10 and thought I was looking for pirate treasure. He was having fun reading my display and guessing what coin I was marking. He said nickle almost each time and sure enough, one of them was a nickle! The rest were can tabs. I told him a barber dime was called that because the guy on it used to give haircuts. Good times for sure!

Now I'm just sitting on the couch relaxing with some Laphroaig cask strength to sooth my aching body. I don't know how you old guys do it all day. I'm 31 and thought I was in good shape but a day of swingin and diggin wore me out. Ok time for a refill...
 
You must have a different mind set then me because I will leave an area as soon as any kids get nearby. Maybe I've just been scared by what I read in the past where a guy had adults calling him a child molester out loud for everybody to hear when he had several kids following him around as he hunted. It's sad but in this day and age because of all the hype the media has put into being super sensitive to dangerous situations many people have a hair finger trigger on calling the police on anything that looks remotely suspicious. I don't even want to get near any kind of risk of being implied to be that. Thanks to all the buzz now kids have nobody around them willing to spend any kind of quality time with them and so it's Playstation 12 hours a day. That's probably a huge stretch but you know what I mean. I look for greener pastures whenever any kids (or even noisy looking adults) arrive at my more sensative sites that I'm worried any kind of static (meaning one call to the police) would get me kicked out of.

Yea, I'm paranoid, but only because I've got some pretty bad luck! :biggrin: Bought a "new" truck the other day and had somebody shoot a BB into the tailgate and put a nice dent in it that night. This was at a friend's house where nobody knew me or would have any reason to target my vehicle. THAT'S the way my luck goes, so I try to avoid any potential risks. In other words, seems like it's always raining when I don't carry an umbrella. When you realize everbody is out to get you you'll be just as paranoid as me with certain things. :lmfao:
 
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