Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Police called detecting curb strip.

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thebigfoote

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Mar 2, 2017
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Hello everyone, I have been at this for about two months now. With your guys advice I have made some really great finds recently. Today I went curb strip hunting at 4PM, I know, I know. I should keep it to low traffic time frames but I don't like getting up early and thats when I had time!

I wear a yellow safety vest, nicely make/fill plugs and limit it to the strip in front of foreclosure homes. I do not enter the property in anyway. Today someone called the police on me... It really surprised me when they pulled up. Everything went ok, he just asked for my ID and recommended that I metal detect in "more public locations like a park" and left. I wonder what those people thought I could be up to in my yellow safety vest and metal detector.... Anyone every have the police called in this situation?

Found a 1935 indian head nickel before he got there, they will not stop me.
 
thebigfoote said:
Hello everyone, I have been at this for about two months now. With your guys advice I have made some really great finds recently. Today I went curb strip hunting at 4PM, I know, I know. I should keep it to low traffic time frames but I don't like getting up early and thats when I had time!

I wear a yellow safety vest, nicely make/fill plugs and limit it to the strip in front of foreclosure homes. I do not enter the property in anyway. Today someone called the police on me... It really surprised me when they pulled up. Everything went ok, he just asked for my ID and recommended that I metal detect in "more public locations like a park" and left. I wonder what those people thought I could be up to in my yellow safety vest and metal detector.... Anyone every have the police called in this situation?
Click to expand...

Several have, sometimes the people want to confront you too.
Some police encounters are like yours, others just laugh at he people that called and say carry on, a few don't know the actual laws even if it is allowed in your town so they tell you to leave.
These are all relatively rare though, but they can happen.
Some around here make a career of hunting these things and don't ever have issues...such is life.
Never argue with a cop even if you know the laws and they don't, confronting mad people usually gets you nowhere too.
There are tons of these strips in most towns so just move to another place and if possible have a copy of the city's laws on you that you can show police if it happens.
 
People should be aware of strangers , can you really be surprised with the scams going on today . They most likely thought you were a city worker and wanted to know what was going on . I like that the cop had a decent attitude Kinda laugh he told you to go to a park where most of the complaints come from .
GL , ,,,,HH
 
Have certainly had that happen to me several times. Fortunately the officers understood I was not breaking the law and they were just following up on the complaint. Even had some apologize for having to bother me. Most of the times I just leave and go back another day so they won't keep getting calls. They are just doing their job and it is better to use discretion rather than argue the point.:yes:
 
Did you stop digging in that spot after the police showed up and talked to you, or did he allow you to keep digging?

I always do my best to make myself known to neighbors, and try to keep from offending anyone. Probably somebody looking out a window decided that they didn't like you there. Complainers don't have to be right to make a call and get a cruiser sent to check you out.

Not metal detecting related, but I had a neighbor call police when I was cutting wood on a woodlot with permission from the property owner. Police showed up and I sat in the back of a squad car for about an hour until they tracked down the owner and found out I was telling the truth. So you can be right and still be inconvenienced. Cops may be annoyed if they get a lot of calls and always find you when they show up.
 
I figured I wasn't alone, I would bet that's why there is good stuff there too. It takes thick skin to deal with angry people and police. I completely agree about just going along with the officer as long as I am not in trouble.

I was pretty angry and the people I believe called the police were standing outside watching the show. I was tempted to confront them but I figured it wasn't worth it.
 
Mikey48 said:
Did you stop digging in that spot after the police showed up and talked to you, or did he allow you to keep digging?

I always do my best to make myself known to neighbors, and try to keep from offending anyone. Probably somebody looking out a window decided that they didn't like you there. Complainers don't have to be right to make a call and get a cruiser sent to check you out.

Not metal detecting related, but I had a neighbor call police when I was cutting wood on a woodlot with permission from the property owner. Police showed up and I sat in the back of a squad car for about an hour until they tracked down the owner and found out I was telling the truth. So you can be right and still be inconvenienced. Cops may be annoyed if they get a lot of calls and always find you when they show up.
Click to expand...

Wow, I am sure glad that it didn't take an hour to sort out. I restricted myself to only curb strips of bank owned homes but after this I might as well dig whatever curb strip I please, I don't feel I'm avoiding any trouble anymore.

He didn't say I had to leave but I chose to out of respect. I understand I am in the right but no sense in causing an issue. There are curb strips for miles.
 
Yes I have had teh police called on me while curbstrip hunting.
Once I even had a cop come home from work, to his house, where I was hunting his curbstrip!
The guy came unglued and threatened to "kick my ass"
That was not a good day:no:
 
I don't know what size city/community you live in, but in a smaller community what I would suggest is that you stop in to the police department and introduce yourself to the chief. Explain what you do, and let him/her know that you are not a problem. Ask the chief to explain to the officers about you. Then when you want to go detecting, what you might do is phone the dispatcher and tell them that you will be detecting on such and such a street or area, with a brief description of your clothing, in case they get phone calls about you. That way they know what the deal is, and don't have to waste time and money sending an officer out to check out the call.

I expect a lot of flak about that idea but I know a guy that lives just outside the edge of a city who has an outside shooting range, and he phones the PD dispatcher to give them a heads up when he is going to be shooting on his range. It is a courtesy to the PD, as it avoids a lot of investigations when people hear gun shots and phone in reports. Sure, there is a big difference between a stranger in the yard vs shots fired, but introduction and notification is a way to attempt to prevent unpleasant police encounters.

No, I haven't done this...yet! I'm not ready to venture off my property yet, but when I am, I'll let 'em know. The chief and several officers are already familiar with me--in a good-guy way. :grin:
 
schmitzplumbing said:
a 1935 indian head nickel ?:wow:[/QUOTE

1935 Buffalo Nickel

2e64m7d.jpg
Click to expand...
 
matmit said:
Yes I have had teh police called on me while curbstrip hunting.
Once I even had a cop come home from work, to his house, where I was hunting his curbstrip!
The guy came unglued and threatened to "kick my ass"
That was not a good day:no:
Click to expand...


Wow, that's pretty intense. How did you react?
 
Crackerjack said:
I don't know what size city/community you live in, but in a smaller community what I would suggest is that you stop in to the police department and introduce yourself to the chief. Explain what you do, and let him/her know that you are not a problem. Ask the chief to explain to the officers about you. Then when you want to go detecting, what you might do is phone the dispatcher and tell them that you will be detecting on such and such a street or area, with a brief description of your clothing, in case they get phone calls about you. That way they know what the deal is, and don't have to waste time and money sending an officer out to check out the call.

I expect a lot of flak about that idea but I know a guy that lives just outside the edge of a city who has an outside shooting range, and he phones the PD dispatcher to give them a heads up when he is going to be shooting on his range. It is a courtesy to the PD, as it avoids a lot of investigations when people hear gun shots and phone in reports. Sure, there is a big difference between a stranger in the yard vs shots fired, but introduction and notification is a way to attempt to prevent unpleasant police encounters.

No, I haven't done this...yet! I'm not ready to venture off my property yet, but when I am, I'll let 'em know. The chief and several officers are already familiar with me--in a good-guy way. :grin:
Click to expand...


I live in Springfield, OR near Eugene. I think it might be a little extreme to call every time. I think its good advice though to introduce myself. If it happens again, I will go ahead an drop in the station and ask them for advice on the situation. I guess at least it makes things a bit exciting on a slow day. :lol:
 
I've had a number of incidents when the cops came. They never bother me unless someone calls them to make a complaint. Sometimes they're nice about it but one time a cop was called because I was detecting a ballfield. Not only did he want ID from Sue and I but he made us wait in our car while he radioed in to check to see if there were any warrants out on us !!!!!! A little bit of over zealousness to say the least. We're two older retired people with detectors minding our business and he's checking us for warrants????
 
Yes

Park hunter & i were hunting the sidewalk strip around a 1800s house, the owner called the cops after harassing us for 5 minutes, we finally left, went up the street, a cop confronted us, i talked to him, then he went to the owner to tell him it's legal, not on his property, every time i talk to Park hunter now, i say let's go back to that sidewalk strip, that we got harassed :yes::laughing:
 
I was approached by Game Warden but was real cool, he knew a few officers that are my friends. By the time we were done shoot'n the bull he had giving me couple leads, and helped me get special permission from the state capital to a place I've been wanting to go for years but till now was off limits. Thanks Bud!!
 
matmit said:
Yes I have had teh police called on me while curbstrip hunting.
Once I even had a cop come home from work, to his house, where I was hunting his curbstrip!
The guy came unglued and threatened to "kick my ass"
That was not a good day:no:
Click to expand...
You mad me laugh. I want to hear the story at the next meeting.
 
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