Have Had Interactions With Police Twice This Year..

PrussianBleu

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Kenosha, WI
Allow me to spin you a yarn..

I've been beeping since last fall, with a long hiatus during our never-ending winters up here. In that limited amount of time, I've been stopped by lady police officers twice for hunting in public parks.

In the first instance, it was after dark (I work 2nd shift) and the responding officer said that they were responding to a concerned neighbor saying that "someone was with a metal detector in the park," so the person in question definitely knew what I was doing and yet figured this was reason enough to call the police (!) The officer said she had seen some other people doing it and other parts but wasn't aware of there being anything wrong with it. It was a pleasant interaction, she seemed more curious than anything. Eventually she called it in, the guys at the station said there wasn't any issue with having a metal detector in a park, and she said to be cognizant of what time the park closes, cover my holes (as I told her I had been doing) and to have a nice night.

The second interaction wasn't nearly as cordial. Lady police officer stopped me close to dusk and one of the older parks in town. "What are you doing?" "Metal detecting!" "Are you digging?" "Yes." "Stop that, you're vandalizing the park" *proceeds to drive away* "Officer, do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?" ... To keep a long story brief she went on to accuse me of vandalizing the park because I was digging. She alluded to that metal detectorists were supposed to just hunt for things on the surface or on the beach, and that she had stopped people from metal detecting in the past. She went on to say that they write people vandalism tickets for driving in the grass. Not wishing to just be brushed off I proceeded to politely argue with her that this kind of activity has already been approved by one police officer, and that I had a permit to metal detect certain parks in the county. She said that the other officer in question hadn't been on the force for very long, and use that as justification to discount what the other officer had said, despite the fact that it was called into the station also. She then looked at the permit and said that it was only good for the *county* not the city. A worker for the parks department just happened to be driving by and she flagged this person down. When she tried to confirm her belief that metal detecting wasn't allowed in the park, the worker seem confused and said that the issue hadn't really come up before. I was given the number of the head of the parks department and advised to call and ask him about it. The interaction ended rather strangely with the police officer telling me to "do what you want" and that she couldn't really write me a ticket for vandalism and to have a nice night.

I continue to hunt local parks anyway. This by the way is in a city which has featured metal detectorists, hunting in public parks in the local paper.

:D
 
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Not all Police officers are aware of the laws and some of them get their kicks out of harassing people. Sounds like your second encounter was one of those who likes to throw their weight around.
 
Allow me to spin you a yarn..

I've been beeping since last fall, with a long hiatus during our never-ending winters up here. In that limited amount of time, I've been stopped by lady police officers twice for hunting in public parks.

In the first instance, it was after dark (I work 2nd shift) and the responding officer said that they were responding to a concerned neighbor saying that "someone was with a metal detector in the park," so the person in question definitely knew what I was doing and yet figured this was reason enough to call the police (!) The officer said she had seen some other people doing it and other parts but wasn't aware of there being anything wrong with it. It was a pleasant interaction, she seemed more curious than anything. Eventually she called it in, the guys at the station said there wasn't any issue with having a metal detector in a park, and she said to be cognizant of what time the park closes, cover my holes (as I told her I had been doing) and to have a nice night.

The second interaction wasn't nearly as cordial. Lady police officer stopped me close to dusk and one of the older parks in town. "What are you doing?" "Metal detecting!" "Are you digging?" "Yes." "Stop that, you're vandalizing the park" *proceeds to drive away* "Officer, do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?" ... To keep a long story brief she went on to accuse me of vandalizing the park because I was digging. She alluded to that metal detectorists were supposed to just hunt for things on the surface or on the beach, and that she had stopped people from metal detecting in the past. She went on to say that they write people vandalism tickets for driving in the grass. Not wishing to just be brushed off I proceeded to politely argue with her that this kind of activity has already been approved by one police officer, and that I had a permit to metal detect certain parks in the county. She said that the other officer in question hadn't been on the force for very long, and use that as justification to discount what the other officer had said, despite the fact that it was called into the station also. She then looked at the permit and said that it was only good for the *county* not the city. A worker for the parks department just happened to be driving by and she flagged this person down. When she tried to confirm her belief that metal detecting wasn't allowed in the park, the worker seem confused and said that the issue hadn't really come up before. I was given the number of the head of the parks department and advised to call and ask him about it. The interaction ended rather strangely with the police officer telling me to "do what you want" and that she couldn't really write me a ticket for vandalism and to have a nice night.

I continue to hunt local parks anyway. This by the way is in a city which has featured metal detectorists, hunting in public parks in the local paper.

:D


Good post.

Re.: the 2nd cop's rationale about "digging". (Aka "alter", or "deface" or "vandalize", etc....) : Believe it or not, our actions *could* be construed , by persons in authority, to fall under those semantics . And you and I would probably be on the loosing end of the debate, if we haggled with them. I mean ... duh .... we do *dig* after all, eh :roll: :cool3: And you will find some verbiage, to that effect, in every single park across the USA. Yet .... you can plainly see, that tons of md'rs hunt parks. Hence we do not assume that it necessarily forbids us.

We can try to point out that we cover our spots and leave-no-trace (henced not alterED, eh ?). But ... as I say, you'll probably be on the loosing end of that, if you swatted enough hornet's nests.

But on the other hand: I do not construe isolated encounters like that to constitute "law" or "rule" that I must now go fight, blah blah. Instead, it simply means: Give lip service and avoid that one individual in the future.

You are simply not going to please every last person on earth. Who knows ? Maybe she was having a bad hair day. Or maybe she too was just responding to some nosy-parker's phone call (and now feels like she needs to justify the call-out).

And this is exactly why 95% of my nicely manicured park turf hunting is done at night these days. So peaceful So serene.
 
Toms right, it’s so “hit or miss” you never know WHAT might happen, it seems anyway. I don’t have any trouble to speak of. Waving, smiling, and acting like you own the damn place is step one. Because you do own it, in a warped and convoluted way. Nevertheless...I almost always have a camera on my head. This for some reason seems to keep people at a distance. Perhaps they would like to stop by and be a pain in my ash but they don’t want me to film them doing it? Whatever it is, it seems to be working. 99% of the interactions I’ve had with anyone have been OK, no worries. The more you’re around, the less people notice you. You become part of the local workings, and pretty soon you’re just another tree in the park. Know when the places are busy and when they’re not and try to make that work with your schedule. It’s tough for guys who work 1st shift Mon-Fri because that’s the schedule of the other 90% of people. It’s just not always easy....
 
Toms right, it’s so “hit or miss” you never know WHAT might happen, it seems anyway. I don’t have any trouble to speak of. Waving, smiling, and acting like you own the damn place is step one. Because you do own it, in a warped and convoluted way. Nevertheless...I almost always have a camera on my head. This for some reason seems to keep people at a distance. Perhaps they would like to stop by and be a pain in my ash but they don’t want me to film them doing it? Whatever it is, it seems to be working. 99% of the interactions I’ve had with anyone have been OK, no worries. The more you’re around, the less people notice you. You become part of the local workings, and pretty soon you’re just another tree in the park. Know when the places are busy and when they’re not and try to make that work with your schedule. It’s tough for guys who work 1st shift Mon-Fri because that’s the schedule of the other 90% of people. It’s just not always easy....

A camera on you sounds like a great idea!
 
A Lady Game Warden was once 'checking out my can' when I was salmon fishing in a river....so said my Nephew..."Uncle John, that Game Warden Lady is SURE checking out your can!" he remarked.....

Yeah, I had on some Carhardtt overalls and was looking high and tight reeling them in and tail hand landing them like a Pro....I musta looked smoking hot in comparison to all the other River rat pussgut tosspots that particular day.....

Wished my Wife was there to see this....a Game Warden Lady checking out my can that is!....I was really something back then, and its nice to feel appreciated...it was 40 degrees, raining, overcast, blowing 30 out of the North, and yet there she was, on a riverbank, checking out my can! I dont even know Her name!

She was half my age and twice as spry!...Drove a Nice big State issued Truck, wearing a Glock sidearm, hazel eyes...."You have the right to remain sexy", she purred as she checked my license and frisked me...my paperwork, pedigree, and wedding tackle was all in place and modestly appropriate of course.....

I was under the size limit on all counts, so I got off with a stern tongue lashing (which I enjoyed)..but like I said, it was cold....That one 3" limp Creek chub went completely unnoticed.... as usual......I hope to met her again during the Walleye opener..:laughing:
 
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Druggies ,crooks , illegals, you name it ; and the cop busts your balls!
 
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