Have you ever gotten busted?

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WisCacher

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Southeastern Wisconsin
I read a lot about all of the public places where detecting is banned. While I would never stir up trouble by asking for permission if there are no signs or regulations on the municipal website, I always find myself looking over my shoulder anyway. Like maybe I missed the No Detecting sign or something. So I was thinking, what's the worst that could happen? Fines I guess, but would it ever get that far? I'm guessing I would just be asked to leave, etc. So I ask you, my fellow detectorists...have you ever been "busted" and how severe was the punishment?
 
I got asked to leave McClellan, former air base, now a "business park" by private security. He was nice about it. So was I. Been hitting that grassy field numerous times (10x?) without issue. Security said I could try asking the office, but I was done there anyway!

I should add that there were no obvious "no metal detecting" signs, regulations, websites, etc. for this location. And depending on timing (weekend probably would have been less visual), I may never have had any issues.
 
well the worst that can happen could be extreme........for example, say your trespassing, and you happen to be lawfully armed.......well, that's a felony.

However, my experience is your just told "don't do that". That's typical. Now if your doing something like defacing property, have a bobcat digging up some place, etc then expect bigger consequences.
 
wis-cacher, your question is a volatile one. Because the minute anyone comes on to say something like "the worst you'll get is a scram", is the minute someone else will conclude that any-such-talk is PROMOTING lawlessness, steering newbies the wrong way, etc...

So let me be careful in answering your question to preface it by saying that any such answer is not justifying, or "making it right", etc...

I too have often wondered when I see all-such-fears of : confiscations, jail, fines, tickets, etc... Put out as imminent fears we should all be leery of (and thus inquire and ask about every place we come to). I too sometimes wonder just how often this has ever really happened. I have suspected that if ever examples of those things could be shown, it would be for someone who a) was night-sneaking an obvious historic monument, or b) someone who couldn't take a warning, being obnoxious, etc....

I know of 2 friends who got tickets. One was at a historic federal park, and the other @ a CA state historic park, (not just a "regular" state park), where my friend wasn't aware he was on state park land. He was coming back from having hunted a private field with permission (he was using a trail to cross a vacant lot, and didn't realize it was part of the adjacent state park). In EACH case, it was only a ticket. And in each case, it was something silly on the order of a $150 hand slap.

My friend in the state park case was going to fight his ticket, because he hadn't been detecting, and had only been walking back to his car from an allowed place. However, when he saw the pittly amount on the ticket that came in the mail, it wasn't worth his time to take off work and show up to fight it. So he just paid.

Same for the other friend who got the ticket on federal historic park spot (which admittedly he should have known better).

I'm sure someone can come on citing worse consequences (the "jail" and "confiscation" part of your question), for seemingly innocuous places. All I can say to those examples, is that it's probably not unusual to find extremes of anything. I mean: so too can I probably find an example of a motorist pulled over, roughed up, car confiscated, jailed, ticketed, etc.... for nothing but a tail-light out. In other words: Examples of over-zealous cops can probably be found for just about anything in life. But that doesn't stop any of us from driving. You just be careful, use common sense, etc.. And you tend to see such stories as "flukes", not "norms".
 
Believe me, there are people on these forums (and others) pushing the limits. Whether its detecting in areas they shouldn't, leased areas, etc.

How many times do you see someone mention jail, confiscation, etc? Really never, so its not common at all, regardless of what people may lead you to think.

If someone were to break a law, the most common would be trespassing. That is not the easiest law to enforce. Typically what you will find, is you are warned first, cited second. So unless you blatantly ignore the warning, you are likely not to be cited.

A lot of laws have to do with knowing you are breaking the law. Now some may say "no you must know all the laws". Not true. Many laws are prefaced with "...knowingly trespasses....etc". So its reasonable to say you did not see the sign, because perhaps you did not.

This happens all the time with gun laws for example. People will say "no guns", well was that sign over the door I walked through? If not, then can you really hold me accountable......probably not.

I think if people exercise common sense, they would have to go out of their way in a big way to end up with confiscation or jail time. I have been on many forums, for many years, it just doesn't come up......when it does, its something pretty extreme.
 
You don't hear about the guys who got their gear confiscated or jailed for tresspassing for two reasons. One, it's hard to post about their experience from a jail cell since most don't have internet connections, and two, the one's getting their gear confiscated or jailed are embarassed and know that they will just get blasted by us all anyway when they post about doing something that they know they shouldn't have been doing. Or, maybe you never actually get into trouble for it, so on that note I am off to detect fort knox, what's the worst that can happen?
 
Nectar, that's like saying you don't hear about drug dealers getting busted, or other criminals getting busted.

Its all hype. There is very little "busting" of anyone in this hobby going on. I am not advocating breaking the law. I am just saying its all hype.

Compare this to say sport bikers stunting and speeding. You could say you never hear about them getting busted because they are in jail and they can't communicate. Well, they do get busted, all the time, and they post about it, everything from riding without a plate, to doing wheelies, to running from police, etc. So if something was happening it would filter down to these forums.

A lot of people are not aware they are even breaking the laws. Look at the people who detect and don't report their finds to the IRS. What percent of those on this site do you think that is? 99%, 99.9%? Thats a federal crime.

Digging sand, of maybe 6", and finding likely nothing or something benign, is not LIKELY going to land you serious consequences. But hey, its up to everyone to know the law and suffer the consequences. You get some hard nosed officer on federal land that is having a bad day, then maybe your in for it.

So I always like to be aware of the law, but I don't over think it.

For example, in Florida, if you recover an object older than 50 years......well there is protocol for that. So if I dig a penny that is 1960, do you think I am going to follow that protocol? doubtful. Am I lawless? not really, I probably broke the speed limit getting to my site too, maybe I didn't have my seat belt on and maybe I stayed on the beach past dark...........most people, including the police, could care less about these last three I mention, but they will cite you for it if they catch you.
 
You don't hear about the guys who got their gear confiscated or jailed for tresspassing ....

Interesting theory Nector. That: arrests, jail, confiscations, fines are all common place for md'rs. But .... well ..... you simply don't hear about it "because those md'rs are embarassed and don't want it known". Possible? Sure. I'm sure some people keep quiet because, you're right: that's nothing to boast about.

But seriously now, in this day and age of lightening fast information, I find it hard to believe that it wouldn't be possible to come up with more than just a few token examples, if this were so "all fired common".

So I'd go with what signal said: Not likely to explain the lack of examples.
 
.......For example, in Florida, if you recover an object older than 50 years......well there is protocol for that.....

You mean just the state (or federal) places, right ? Not city or county or private land, right ?

well assuming that there's zones there that you can hunt your hearts out at "provided you turn in all 50+ yr. old items", just be aware: There's navy commando seals lurking behind rocks and bushes. Armed with calculators to pop out and do the math on the ages of coins you find. Heaven-help-you if you (gasp) found a 1960 penny !
 
i got asked to leave a park by some dumbass citizen once i told him to shove it up his *** and quit bothering me a police officer drove by and told him to get lost lol.

I hope you are kidding about this Chris! :shock: Acting like that reflects poorly on all of us who detect public places! :no:
 
I am just saying its all hype.

Tell that to the guys who have been arrested for trespassing, or taking artifacts from areas they weren't supposed to be on.

Someone mentioned lightening fast information of this day and age, do a google search, you will find that people are in fact arrested, and oridnances put into place because of those who have to bend the rules


If it's all hype, just detect anywhere that you want to and let us know how that goes for you...
 
Tell that to the guys who have been arrested for trespassing, or taking artifacts from areas they weren't supposed to be on.

Someone mentioned lightening fast information of this day and age, do a google search, you will find that people are in fact arrested, and oridnances put into place because of those who have to bend the rules


If it's all hype, just detect anywhere that you want to and let us know how that goes for you...

Around here it would take a lot to get the rules changed. lol im friends with the local sheriff and the deputy and the mayor so they dont bother me or any other detectorists cause i asked them nicely not to sometimes it pays off to ask lol.
 
Around here it would take a lot to get the rules changed. lol im friends with the local sheriff and the deputy and the mayor so they dont bother me or any other detectorists cause i asked them nicely not to sometimes it pays off to ask lol.

Step on my land without permission and your friends won't matter... point is, there are consequences to "just go do it" is all I'm sayin....
 
Step on my land without permission and your friends won't matter... point is, there are consequences to "just go do it" is all I'm sayin....

i only hunt public parks, the beach, and family properties lol. probably like 7 locations in total. the number of times some druggie or drunk has tried to kick me out of a public park is huge, i just tell them to get lost since they have no authority over me and i know im allowed to hunt at that location lol. The most annoying thing is when im trying to film something and some moron comes over and wants to talk about detecting for like 15 minutes and ruins the footage really tans my hide.
 
.... If it's all hype, just detect anywhere that you want to and let us know how that goes for you...

Nectar:

1) Depends on what you mean by "hype". The question here was about frequency and imminency. I don't think there's any doubt that there are examples that can be provided. But the question is about how often, how likely, etc....

2) And if the answer turns out to be that it's rare to ever reach that level, then: No, one saying "gee, let's all help ourselves to Ft. Knox" then, type conclusion.

3) And after re-reading the OP's question, I take the question to mean run-of-mill parks, schools, beaches, etc... . And places where there isn't specific "no detecting" rules.
 
You mean just the state (or federal) places, right ? Not city or county or private land, right ?

In the water, older than 50 years. As if anything older than 50 years is somehow historically significant. Its just one of many laws that I don't think much about. I am pulling, rings (with no date), clad and silver, trash........its mine, not reporting it to anyone. This is in none leased areas.
 
...........its mine, not reporting it to anyone.....

tsk tsk tsk. I'll tell ya what: Box it all up and send it to me. I will absolve your conscience of all guilt. It's the least I can do for a good buddy like you!
 
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