MrNovice
Forum Supporter
I was out hunting several elementary schools last night. I guess I was skimming my 4th or 5th school playground when I see an SUV with a spotlight shining around the area close to me. I have my flashlight facing down where I'm sweeping and when I see it, I flash my light toward it and back at the ground several times so they know where I am. I have my detector, digger, small flashlight all in hand and pinpointer in my pocket. So I stop detecting and stroll over to the closest fence by the parking lot so he can just drive up to me. By this point I have dropped the digger, not wanting to look threatening or get shot, and he drives over and I see the SUV marked ISD Security Officer. This young man asks me what I'm doing, I say metal detecting and he says, oh okay. Then like starting a casual conversation, he says "Finding anything good?"
This totally blows my mind considering it's 1:45 am and pretty much the school playgrounds are off limits to everyone once the sun sets, like 5 hours ago! So I say, ehhh, just some junk here and there, wanna see? He gets out, I empty my pocket full of the normal junk we find, some coins and a few little kid trinkets that I found into his hands. He says that's pretty neat, I show him the dollar coin I found at playground #3 and he looks it over as he's nodding his head. I tell him I hunt a bunch of the elementary schools and city parks around here, and help pull out all kinds of junk and trash along with some good stuff.
I asked did someone call on me or is this like your normal route? He said he was just making his rounds and that no one called. Said he's responsible for the southwest schools in this ISD. Then, I asked him if he has been by this other close elementary school yet and tell him when I went to that playground about an hour ago, there were 3 cars with about 6 teenagers around the basketball courts being weird. After I drove up and parked, 2 of the cars packed up and took off quick and the 3rd one stayed for about another 45 minutes. I told him the engine was running, but I think the guy was sleeping in the car or something, finally noticed me and then took off. I told him, people don't really screw with me too much because I have pretty sharp digging tools - as I shined the flashlight on my Whites Digger 15 ft behind me laying on the dirt. I told him there have been several times I've called the police on teenagers vandalizing the city parks at night while I was there, but they never seem to show up even though I wait for them.
Just then, he cocked his head kinda sideways and he says to me as he starts aproaching really close while reaching into his back pocket, "You know what..." I'm thinking, oh !!!!, here it comes...I've said something now. He continues to pull something from his wallet and says "...you ever see anything out of place when you're out in the playgrounds, give me a call or call the dispatch officer for the schools and we'll be there immediately" and hands me his business card! I put my flashlight on it and all I can say is, "Really?" He assures me and says, "Yeah, we don't deal with all the calls police officers do so if you call about school property, we'll be there in just a few minutes." I said "Wow, and you guys are here 24 hours?" He says, "Yep, you call that dispatch number and someone will answer." I told him, "I appreciate that because this is yours and my tax money if they break anything." He nodded, shook my hand, told me to have a great night and hopped in his truck and took off.
I'm thinking, damn...this guy just gave me permission to be out here at any time, notify them if I see anything strange, and I can present his card and name drop if anyone else says anything. How cool is that!!!
So anyways, I now have free reign of 47 elementary schools in my ISD -encompassing 3 whole cities that are a part of our ISD because the two neighboring cities are smaller and managed by our ISD. I couldn't have asked for a better permission and the best part is...I didn't even ask!!!
Sorry this is so long, but I'm totally surprised and completely stoked! Let's hope as long as I stay respectful of the property and keep helping to pull out the bad stuff with the good, that this will last for awhile! Unbelievable!
Thanks for reading! HH!
This totally blows my mind considering it's 1:45 am and pretty much the school playgrounds are off limits to everyone once the sun sets, like 5 hours ago! So I say, ehhh, just some junk here and there, wanna see? He gets out, I empty my pocket full of the normal junk we find, some coins and a few little kid trinkets that I found into his hands. He says that's pretty neat, I show him the dollar coin I found at playground #3 and he looks it over as he's nodding his head. I tell him I hunt a bunch of the elementary schools and city parks around here, and help pull out all kinds of junk and trash along with some good stuff.
I asked did someone call on me or is this like your normal route? He said he was just making his rounds and that no one called. Said he's responsible for the southwest schools in this ISD. Then, I asked him if he has been by this other close elementary school yet and tell him when I went to that playground about an hour ago, there were 3 cars with about 6 teenagers around the basketball courts being weird. After I drove up and parked, 2 of the cars packed up and took off quick and the 3rd one stayed for about another 45 minutes. I told him the engine was running, but I think the guy was sleeping in the car or something, finally noticed me and then took off. I told him, people don't really screw with me too much because I have pretty sharp digging tools - as I shined the flashlight on my Whites Digger 15 ft behind me laying on the dirt. I told him there have been several times I've called the police on teenagers vandalizing the city parks at night while I was there, but they never seem to show up even though I wait for them.
Just then, he cocked his head kinda sideways and he says to me as he starts aproaching really close while reaching into his back pocket, "You know what..." I'm thinking, oh !!!!, here it comes...I've said something now. He continues to pull something from his wallet and says "...you ever see anything out of place when you're out in the playgrounds, give me a call or call the dispatch officer for the schools and we'll be there immediately" and hands me his business card! I put my flashlight on it and all I can say is, "Really?" He assures me and says, "Yeah, we don't deal with all the calls police officers do so if you call about school property, we'll be there in just a few minutes." I said "Wow, and you guys are here 24 hours?" He says, "Yep, you call that dispatch number and someone will answer." I told him, "I appreciate that because this is yours and my tax money if they break anything." He nodded, shook my hand, told me to have a great night and hopped in his truck and took off.
I'm thinking, damn...this guy just gave me permission to be out here at any time, notify them if I see anything strange, and I can present his card and name drop if anyone else says anything. How cool is that!!!
So anyways, I now have free reign of 47 elementary schools in my ISD -encompassing 3 whole cities that are a part of our ISD because the two neighboring cities are smaller and managed by our ISD. I couldn't have asked for a better permission and the best part is...I didn't even ask!!!
Sorry this is so long, but I'm totally surprised and completely stoked! Let's hope as long as I stay respectful of the property and keep helping to pull out the bad stuff with the good, that this will last for awhile! Unbelievable!
Thanks for reading! HH!
