Here come the law..

Probably part of his regular patrol. I wouldn't worry about it.

Every time I have detected a park I have seen Law Enforcement at some point.

They patrol parks to make sure everyone is safe, playing nicely, and staying sober.

It's part of their patrol as Rudy said

It has happened to a lot of us. Some officers are great some are a pain. In having them called on me well over 20 times, I have received three citations , all dismissed, threatened to have my truck impounded and taken in. I dared him, told him I would wait till the tow truck arrives. Those were the worst. Most the time the officers told the people I was in my rights, told the callers that if they called one more time, they would get a citation for harassment. One caller in SLC went to jail, and last but not least in Florida, the officers wanted my information so they could notify my next of kin. (I was snorkeling and detecting around a small group of black tipped sharks)

Most are great, some think they can intimidate, some don't know the law at all and try to appease the caller. You never know who you are going to get.

Your best defense is to completely know the laws in your state and have a copy IF you meet up with a pain in the butt officer. Last year I was only bothered twice. Probably a new record for me.

I had a few hours to detect Christmas morning and since hardly anyone was out and about, I went over to a park the next town over. No sooner than I got out of the truck with my detector, here drives up the local officer. I said "just getting out for a little while this morning" and he just said "I am thinking of getting a detector, an AT Pro". We talked for a few minutes and he wished me luck and drove off, that was it. So it's not always bad news.

Sadly, there's a no digging in "park spaces" bit in my city's bylaws. If somebody wants to make an issue of it, it's a $250 touch. I don't know how much it's enforced. There's a metal detecting club here. I don't really have much interest in joining up, but it might be a good idea if for no other reason than to learn the "real world" do's and don't in my area.

ScubaDetector said:

It has happened to a lot of us. Some officers are great some are a pain. In having them called on me well over 20 times, I have received three citations , all dismissed, threatened to have my truck impounded and taken in. I dared him, told him I would wait till the tow truck arrives. Those were the worst. Most the time the officers told the people I was in my rights, told the callers that if they called one more time, they would get a citation for harassment. One caller in SLC went to jail, and last but not least in Florida, the officers wanted my information so they could notify my next of kin. (I was snorkeling and detecting around a small group of black tipped sharks)

Most are great, some think they can intimidate, some don't know the law at all and try to appease the caller. You never know who you are going to get.

Your best defense is to completely know the laws in your state and have a copy IF you meet up with a pain in the butt officer. Last year I was only bothered twice. Probably a new record for me.

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As a former officer (you not me) you know what I mean...

When I get a DH cop who violates his oath to uphold my rights as a public servant when I know for a fact I'm in the right. I bust out my phone and video tape, let the officer know video and audio being recorded, usually ask to turn it off I refuse, its my right for his protection and mine, have yet to be forced physically or mentally to stop recording, boy would my lawyer have a field day, if I get threatened or he or she is to hostile verbally I ask for a name and badge # they're required to give when requested atleast where I live.
If I'm not doing anything illegal I don't show id when asked, except when md as I don't want to give them reasons tonrestrict the hobby.
If I'm not breaking any law and they ask for ID I ask on what grounds, and if they say I need to see if you are who you say you are, I reply no you don't and I will not give you my id on account of not doing anything illegal I'll ask if I'm being detained answers usully no I then say id like to end this interraction as it wasn't invited and I'll be on my way.. rookies are the best!!! Know your rights copsnare there to protect and serve, many are hot headed and make the rest of them look bad.

All this I stated was before I started mding and when I was a young punk, now I have nothing to hide matter of fact plan on taking the civil service exam, multiple friends who are cops, I wouldn't do any of that now as I don't need to be held up for 5 hours being harassed by a rookie with something to prove by not knowing the constitution he swore under oath to protect.

Sorry for my grammar and punctuation, lol there's a cop for that j.p
I'm not anti police by all means, I'm ajti police state. And hate antigun ppl, I sawba movie once where only the police and military had weapons... what was it


Oh Shindlers List.


Haven't had an uproar or rebellion so to speak in about 7 years lol
Do not do any of this or you will create more restrictions on our hobby!

In every one my encounters here in Michigan, I have been in my scuba gear. LOL no ID on me. However I have my DL# memorized and give it to them.

There are SO many laws on the books it isn't funny. For an officer to know them all impossible. I know the diving laws, tresspassing laws, riparian rights laws up down and backwards here in Michigan.

The OP asked has anyone HAD the cops called on them. They haven't bothered me except when people have called. When an officer gets to a location his job is to evaluate and diffuse a situation. As I said MOST have realized I am completely in the right and have told the folks that what I am doing is fine. HOWEVER, there is that one or two that THINK they can push people around and get away with it.

I will share some stories when I get off work. I have to go play on the icy roads.

ScubaDetector said:

In every one my encounters here in Michigan, I have been in my scuba gear. LOL no ID on me. However I have my DL# memorized and give it to them.

There are SO many laws on the books it isn't funny. For an officer to know them all impossible. I know the diving laws, tresspassing laws, riparian rights laws up down and backwards here in Michigan.

The OP asked has anyone HAD the cops called on them. They haven't bothered me except when people have called. When an officer gets to a location his job is to evaluate and diffuse a situation. As I said MOST have realized I am completely in the right and have told the folks that what I am doing is fine. HOWEVER, there is that one or two that THINK they can push people around and get away with it.

I will share some stories when I get off work. I have to go play on the icy roads.

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Didn't mean to sound like cops don't know enough to know laws that are constantly changing is impossible, just saying that the constitution they swore to uphold is forgotten by a few. Like you said the one or two that try imtimidation techniques

Quite the variety of responses. Thanks! The only regulation I found in my city reads this and I find nothing addressing detecting specifically.

Damaging Park Property: It is unlawful for any person to destroy, damage or deface any property owned or used by the city as a park. Violation of this subsection may be charged as either an infraction or a misdemeanor in the discretion of the district attorney.

I just think be careful with your digs, leave no trace, and show the officer all the garbage you collected and say just look at all this trash I removed!

MrDooley said:

.... Damaging Park Property: It is unlawful for any person to destroy, damage or deface any property owned or used by the city as a park. Violation of this subsection may be charged as either an infraction or a misdemeanor in the discretion of the district attorney.

I just think be careful with your digs, leave no trace, and show the officer all the garbage you collected and say just look at all this trash I removed!

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You have deduced right. All such text implicitly refers to the end result. If you leave no trace, then you haven't destroyED, damagED, or defacED anything, have you ? And if someone else thinks differently, fine then: go at lower traffic times and avoid bumping into such kill-joys

I got yelled at buy a park worker once and told I wasnt aloud there anymore I noticed he works there 3-5 probaley have hunted there 50 times after that its my fave park always has money

michaell said:

I got yelled at buy a park worker once and told I wasnt aloud there anymore I noticed he works there 3-5 probaley have hunted there 50 times after that its my fave park always has money

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Happened to me the other day, called the town i wasblegally allowed, cop came told park worker to not harass me

Ok back. One example. I hunt a lake here in Michigan surrounded by multimillion dollar homes. I found a LEGAL access to it. I drive a rusty 1996 Ford Explorer. The police were called on me 9 times 2 summers ago. The first 6 times the police were called, they told the residence I was within my rights. The 7th time I got an officer that decided I was illegal. I told him to call his sergeant. He came and also decided I was illegal. Told me I had to leave. I told him that if you are making me leave I demand a citation. The sergeant said they don't want to give me one. I said " if you are not giving me a citation, I am going back in the lake." Well needless to say I got my citation. It was dismissed before it even went to court. Twice after that the residence tried again. The last time the officers told a whole group of them, if anyone called on me again, they would be cited for harassment.

This is just one example of an officer trying to appease the rich people and deny my rights.

In SLC I was detecting a very rich and old section of town on the parking strips at night. A guy comes out of a house and demands I get off his property. I tell him I am on public property. He brushes his coat aside and flashes a security guard badge on his hip. I say, "Are you a cop?" he says "yes" I said you better learn the laws then. I go to reach for my wallet to pull out my badge. He yells "keep your hands where I can see them". I say, you better call the police then cause I am not leaving. I start to go back to detecting and he says "Someone is going to jail." About 10 minutes later while I was on the next parking strip a SLC police car shows up in front of me parked in the street crooked with his lights shining on me. I put my detector down and put my hands out from my sides. He gets out of his car. I say "I am a state officer and I am armed". He asks for my ID. I get my wallet out at the same time another officer is pulling up the opposite way. Gave him my ID and told him the story. Yep someone went to jail. They arrested him for impersonating an officer. Too bad he wasn't armed.

I was in a lake last summer and Kevin and I anchored in the shallow water near a private marina. The lake has a public boat launch. Michigan laws are CLEAR. If it is a public lake with public beaches or boat launches, the owners rights END at the high water mark. While in the marked off swim area a lady on a float comes up to me and tells me we can't moor there. I said sure we can. It is a public lake. She said no it isn't. A guy on the dock yells, you ever hear of riparian rights? I yelled back, "yep, and you don't have them." I told her I wasn't leaving and if they had an issue to call the police. A while later I am underwater and I hear a BANG BANG BANG. I come up and there is a cop on the dock. (He stomped his foot on it) First I tell him I have two dive knives on me. He said he wasn't worried unless I was a professional knife thrower. He told me I was trespassing. I said no, I am in the water. He said well now that you are standing up you are. I said no this is a public lake and nobody owns the land or the water on a public lake. He said, I believe you are right. I have been reading the laws while watching you and I haven't found anything different. I told him my background and the law, we had a great talk and he left satisfied.

Kevin said he came up, saw I was talking to a cop and went right back down. LOL Kevin has been with me a few times the police have been called. He knows I won't give an inch!

I have two other stories of citations I have received while diving that were absolutely bogus. Both were also dismissed, BUT I got them because the officers did not know the law and my attitude didn't help because I did.

When the police are called, they have to diffuse a situation usually. The best way is to make one person go away. An officer does that sometimes by intimidation. I understand that of course. BUT when they can't intimidate someone, they get frustrated and react.

The time they threatened to tow my vehicle when I was parked on a public street is a good example. I parked and crossed private property to get to a lake. The property was vacant with no house and for sale. I had called the realtor and he took my information and told me to go right ahead. If the owner had a problem he would get back with me. Well a neighbor in another multimillion dollar house called. The officer told me my permission wasn't good enough. I said sure it is. The agent has the right to let anyone on the property. The officer argued with me and even after I told him I was a cop he got more rude. He said, you must know all the laws then. I said no, but I do know the trespassing law. It got really heated and I won't go into it all. He said he was going to impound my truck. I said go ahead. I will sit here till after the tow truck leaves. He got in his car and slammed the door. I took my gear off and sat on a log. A few minutes later he says Mr. Grattan, come over here. He apologized, told me most people wouldn't have called anyone for permission and said have a good evening.

Would I suggest any of you doing what I do? NOT AT ALL, unless you know every law in your state concerning trespassing, destroying property, and anything else an officer can think of.

Anyway, as I said, the police have been called on me well over 20 times. i could add them all up if I thought hard enough. MOST officers are very polite, professional, and do not want to bother you. Then there are the others with nothing better to do. Just don't be breaking the law if they are called.

9Veater said:

just saying that the constitution they swore to uphold is forgotten by a few.

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Ugh..........

Scuba,

Vermonster said:

Ugh..........

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Whats that mean

9Veater said:

Whats that mean

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You want my honest answer?????? I'm tired of the people trying to hide behind the "constitution", video taping everything to throw it up on youtube or some other site for their "protection".

Not trying to start an argument here, because maybe you or others have had bad experiences and such, however, in 99.999999% of the cases, if you are simply courteous, straight forward with the cop, it will be a civilized discussion and you'll be on your way. Doing that other stuff will usually escalate the situation, whether right or wrong, down a path it had no need to go on......

They are simply doing their job, following up on a caller's concern. Those callers also can demand as much from the police as you can, as they pay their salaries also. So, the police cannot simply tell them to buzz off, they must do their due diligence and investigate.

paranoia

hang down you're head TOM DOOLEY me thinks you worry to much.

Vermonster said:

You want my honest answer?????? I'm tired of the people trying to hide behind the "constitution", video taping everything to throw it up on youtube or some other site for their "protection".

Not trying to start an argument here, because maybe you or others have had bad experiences and such, however, in 99.999999% of the cases, if you are simply courteous, straight forward with the cop, it will be a civilized discussion and you'll be on your way. Doing that other stuff will usually escalate the situation, whether right or wrong, down a path it had no need to go on......

They are simply doing their job, following up on a caller's concern. Those callers also can demand as much from the police as you can, as they pay their salaries also. So, the police cannot simply tell them to buzz off, they must do their due diligence and investigate.

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Vermonster (BTW, I think your handle is GREAT), but I disagree with your numbers. I am always courteous and straight forward. Officers sometimes have bad days also and take it out on people. And as I said, sometimes an officer has to appease a certain public and if you have a bunch of millionaires, and a lowly detectorist looking for coins in the millionaires area and his jurisdiction, who do you think he is going to try to serve?

I hated to back up my boss. When I was called I knew someone was going to jail. In fact the jailers had a joke among them. Always asked him what is he in for "Contempt of Sean?" I have stories there also.

I can agree that most officers TRY to follow the law, but your 99.9999 is way to high in my honest opinion.

I also will NEVER be on a jury. I was called once. Would I believe an officer above Joe Q Public. NOT one bit. I will sway FAR the other way. I have been in the courtroom far far too many times and know what happens.

Also, I believe a camera is good for the citizen and the officer. Some officers along with some civilians PUSH the envelope too far. A camera will sometimes get the FACTS straight instead of an officers word against yours, and you automatically lose. Not only do you have corrupt officers, you have whole departments that are corrupt. Of course NOT the norm, but the city in Florida that the whole department was just disbanded because it was one of the worst speed traps in the nation I believe is a good example.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-town-infamous-for-speed-traps-disbanding-police-force/