Cop Told me to stop and I said...

GoldenEagle

Jr. Member
Nov 2, 2011
68
15
Minnesota
Detector(s) used
GTAX 550
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Lets call him officer pwrtrp
Since when is metal detecting a liability issue. Pwrtrp approached me and asked if I ever found anything valuable.? I told him mostly junk and clad coins. I have been hitting this park for months with no complaints or problems. He tells me that there haven't been any complaints and its mostly for my safety and liability issues. and I need to bring it up with the city council. MMMM, since this is the only cop in our town I need to be careful in case he reads this. Ok, so he then tells me the city owns the park and everything i find needs to go to the city. I told him that makes no sense and he didn't like that and now, he then told to go to the city council and ask for their permission. WHEN did it BECOME WRONG TO METAL DETECT IN PUBLIC PARKS?Who came up with this wrongful idea that metal detecting in a public park is not allowed, No signs were posted and no complaints were brought to my attention. AHHHHH!!!!!!!! they really think getting plastered at the bar is a much healthier hobby!!!
 

Diggit

Hero Member
Mar 25, 2012
811
132
Michigan
Detector(s) used
White's MXT, DFX, GMT and Fisher F5
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I would look to the behavior people on certain TV shows about detecting. Watch them and ask yourself "would I want them doing THAT in MY yard?"
That is the ONLY exposure most people have to what we do. Pretty positive image, huh?
Combine that with the same "reality" (lol) shows attracting anyone with a couple hundred dollars and a shovel with their focus on "making it rich like da TV said" rather than recovering items with minimal damage (takes too much time and they have riches to make, outta my way!)
At least that's what just got it restricted where I live.

And I call BS on what he told you about "everything you find needs to go to the city."
That's just ludicrous and he pulled that out of his donut ejector.
Cops get used to people not having the right to disagree with them like "other' people, so they just spew out silliness sometimes, thinking you will just smile and "yes sir" them.
You should have told him to go back to battling evil in the way of harassing minors for drinking or hanging out in a speed trap so he can bust people from out of town. You know, those useful things that small town cops do.
 

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Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
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Salinas, CA
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golden-eagle, actually what that cop is telling is probably legally true (although no one really cares, so it's simply un-enforced all over the USA). I mean, THINK of it: let's say that any of us, in any city in the entire USA, were to find a valuable diamond ring, or pristine 1916d merc, at the public park in our town. Imagine walking in to the city's lawyer or some desk-bound clerk, showing them the item, and saying "Hi, I found this on city property, and it's worth $1,000. Is it ok if I keep it for my own fun and profit, or does it belong to the city, since it was found on city property?". What do you think they're response would be? Of COURSE they are going to say "that belongs to the city", right?

Because you see, there is usually, in all cities, verbage in park rules that disallows "collecting" (or "harvesting" or some such phraseology). The reason is, because afterall, if that verbage wasn't there, what's to stop you or I from backing up our truck to the park, and taking all the tan-bark out of the kids playground area, to use in our own garden at home? Or to harvest all the roses out of the park's rose garden, to sell at the flea market? And all such park features belong to the city, not the individual (the turf, the trees, the play equipment, and so forth). But TECHNICALLY, there's nothing to stop that same verbage from applying to even individual coins, rings, and so forth. So technically, the officer is right.

Also at the state level, you are probably running afoul of "lost and found" laws. If you ever find an item over a given threshold value (usually $100 or $200), you are technically required to turn it in the local police, for proper lost & found procedures. And you won't get it back for 30 days, if no one claims it (and you may have to pay the cost of any lost & found ads they put in the paper, etc...).

And as for the other things he said to you "liability" and "safety", you have to understand that the laws are written in an ambiguous fluid enough way, so as to apply to a myriad of situations that may arise, in the field, in the course of law enforcement. I also used to think that there had to be specific working SPECIFICALLY saying "no metal detecting". Otherwise, it seemed arbitrary and capricuous, for some cop to simply say "you can do that, simply because I said so". Because this happened to me once, as well. So I took it up with a lawyer friend, and he alerted me that cops (or any duly appointed public representative) is actually given "latitude" to interpret/morph existing things, to apply as conditions merit, in the field. Because otherwise cops and rangers and city personell would be FOREVER playing and arguing semantics with people in the field. For example: you show up at a park wearing nothing but a single sock. A cop tries to boot you for being "nude". You argue with him and say "officer, I wasn't technically nude, since I was wearing one sock". You can see there, how an officer is granted latitude to interpret the anti-nudity statute, right? And trust me, his superiors will side with him. That's why there are broad nebulous catch-all laws that prohibit "annoyances", for example. See how that can be used, to fit a variety of situations, as they come up in the field? There is simply no way to make laws that will be so detailed as to address the millions of things that *could* come up, in daily life, so therefore public officials are granted power to do their jobs.

And as arbitrary as that sounds, you're right: the downside is that it allows a "barney-fife" to just nilly-willy make up stuff, essentially. And you'd have to fight it, which is an exercise in futility, as you can imagine (all he has to say is "he was making a mess", even though it's not true, and you'll be hard-pressed to argue that you weren't, if you even had so much as a simple screwdriver probe).

So my tactic is, to avoid all such busy-bodies. It's gotten to where I just do most of my park-hunting at "off-times" (low traffic, etc...). The less lookie-lous, the better. Because let's face it guys: we're in an odd-hobby, that has admitted "connotations", and you're simply not going to escape that. You're simply not going to be able to waltz over beach blankets at an archie convention, in front the landscaping crew and bored cops.

Oh, and I might add: I notice that you say yourself you've gone for a long time, and never been bothered. I too have had similar situations occur (where perhaps a cop was simply responding to a call that came in, but personally could care less). And ....... to be honest with you, I'll give lip service ('splain that I checked and saw nothing prohibiting it, but that I recognize his job's not easy, so I don't wanna ruffle any feathers). Then I merely give it a few months break, and return at a different shift. And then, ...... it never happens again, and things return to normal. If you're in a "one-cop town", perhaps this isn't an option for you. But in bigger cities, I never let a single one-time gripe indicate to me that "oh no, the parks are off-limits". Because usually it's just an isolated incident, that you can just avoid just that one person, or just that one angle in that one park, in the future.
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,410
30,020
White Plains, New York
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Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Rule number one.. Never, ever, argue with the Policeman on the scene. Note the time, the officer's badge number, and be respectful. Ask your questions in a professional and courteous fashion, and obey the officer. Take your complaints to the proper authorities in your City or Village, or find another place to detect.

Rule number two.. Don't ever detect a public park after 9am.
 

OP
OP
GoldenEagle

GoldenEagle

Jr. Member
Nov 2, 2011
68
15
Minnesota
Detector(s) used
GTAX 550
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I read your posts, thank you for helping me out through my first cop run-in. It sounds like I need to stay low key and not fight it, I think I'll ask permission from the city council, of they grant it to me that's fine of not then the hunt continues else where. I appreciate all your advice. It's just so easy to get discouraged after an incident like this. But I must press on and always ask permission.
Thanks again,
 

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SC_hunter

Bronze Member
Jan 16, 2007
2,410
160
South Carolina
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Whites V3i,Whites XLT,Ace 250 and BH Tracker IV and Others.....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I would look to the behavior people on certain TV shows about detecting. Watch them and ask yourself "would I want them doing THAT in MY yard?"
That is the ONLY exposure most people have to what we do. Pretty positive image, huh?
Combine that with the same "reality" (lol) shows attracting anyone with a couple hundred dollars and a shovel with their focus on "making it rich like da TV said" rather than recovering items with minimal damage (takes too much time and they have riches to make, outta my way!)
At least that's what just got it restricted where I live.

And I call BS on what he told you about "everything you find needs to go to the city."
That's just ludicrous and he pulled that out of his donut ejector.
Cops get used to people not having the right to disagree with them like "other' people, so they just spew out silliness sometimes, thinking you will just smile and "yes sir" them.
You should have told him to go back to battling evil in the way of harassing minors for drinking or hanging out in a speed trap so he can bust people from out of town. You know, those useful things that small town cops do.
Let me just say....the next to the last sentence would probably not HAVE been the thing to say. Terry and Tom had better ideas. You might feel good about yourself, but I'm sure the cop would have had the last laugh at your expense.
 

Diggit

Hero Member
Mar 25, 2012
811
132
Michigan
Detector(s) used
White's MXT, DFX, GMT and Fisher F5
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Let me just say....the next to the last sentence would probably not HAVE been the thing to say. Terry and Tom had better ideas. You might feel good about yourself, but I'm sure the cop would have had the last laugh at your expense.

Oh come ON. They LOVE that stuff!

Also, they like it when during a traffic stop, if you jump out and look them in the eye. Shows purpose. They respect that.
:)
 

SC_hunter

Bronze Member
Jan 16, 2007
2,410
160
South Carolina
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i,Whites XLT,Ace 250 and BH Tracker IV and Others.....
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All Treasure Hunting
Oh come ON. They LOVE that stuff!

Also, they like it when during a traffic stop, if you jump out and look them in the eye. Shows purpose. They respect that.
:)

If I was running late for supper.....don't mess with a hungry cop....:occasion14:
 

SC_hunter

Bronze Member
Jan 16, 2007
2,410
160
South Carolina
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i,Whites XLT,Ace 250 and BH Tracker IV and Others.....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
You're a good sport, you may change my mind about those I have seen in law enforcement. ;)
HaHa....I have met a few cops i didn't like....hmmmm...more than I "wanna" count on hands and feet...Don't think I have that many..but you do have to know...I was one for 35 years. Hopefully most of the bad ones get weeded out early. Most are good folks and some like to dig in parks as much as anyone else.
 

Diggit

Hero Member
Mar 25, 2012
811
132
Michigan
Detector(s) used
White's MXT, DFX, GMT and Fisher F5
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
HaHa....I have met a few cops i didn't like....hmmmm...more than I "wanna" count on hands and feet...Don't think I have that many..but you do have to know...I was one for 35 years. Hopefully most of the bad ones get weeded out early. Most are good folks and some like to dig in parks as much as anyone else.

I had a pretty bad experience where three deputies were caught lying about a situation I was involved in. It got pretty deep, and they were caught red handed, and fired.
Sure, I won the criminal case, and then the civil suit, but not after years of BS, having my house destroyed, my guns taken and permanently engraved with property numbers. The usual.
Long story short, I got justice, but I had to fight the "brotherhood" to get it.

And then the harassment started.

So,needless to say, I am skeptical about them.
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
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golden eagle, let me clarify, all the stuff I wrote out about the legalities and technicalities of what the cop had said, was not to imply that ........... therefore you/we should all go "ask", at places that have no specific prohibitions. On the contrary, that was the LAST thing I was suggesting :) No more so than thinking you/we need to ask if we can fly frisbees (if there was no specific prohibition against frisbee flying, that is). Because the down-side of asking, is you can actually run up against the answer of "no", when .... in fact ... no one may ever have cared less. Ie.: the old "no one cared till you asked" psychology. So .... no, don't ask. Instead, look it up for yourself. If there's nothing specifically saying "no metal detectors", then presto, it's not prohbited. The only point of everything I was saying, was that the lack of prohibitions doesn't mean that you still don't need to keep from sticking out like a sore thumb, begging for attention. "Asking" ahead of time doesn't do anything to alleviate this, and instead, oft-times puts places off-limits, where some bored desk clerk simply says "no", when no real rule exists that says that. (simply because he/she envisions geeks with shovels, or ..... that you'll harm earthworms ..... or whatever).

The only time I would start talking to bureaucrats, is if there's no other way, and I *really* wanted to hit a certain place, and there was no way to stay clear of barney-fife types. Otherwise, you certainly don't want to simply give ground for someone to say "no", when ... perhaps you could have just gone, and no one really cared less.
 

bsloan

Sr. Member
Jul 3, 2010
345
100
The heart of Aggieland
Detector(s) used
Ace 250
Sorry for the problem you ran into with the Police. If he says everything you find belongs to the city, I would hunt the trashiest places I could find, and kindly deliver as many bags of trash to this officer. I would also throw in a few coins for the illusion of all finds being turned in. But that's me sometimes I can be an ahole

Best of luck,
Bill
 

K Zack

Sr. Member
Feb 2, 2012
493
81
West Michigan
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab- Explorer XS, Excalibur 800, Sovereign XS-2 Pro, Fisher 1280X
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I think anyone who has some years behind them has dealt with a Bad Cop or 2 in there life.
I can also say I have dealt with a few who have went far beyond there Duty to do what was Right.
The Police today have an increasingly hard job to do. Many States, including Michigan that would rather leave the criminal on the street, it is cheaper for the state that way.
Not unlike ourselves, some Cops will make a bad decision from time to time, it is just a part of life.
To all of the Police out there trying to keep us safe, Thank You for Your Service.
Happy Hunting
Kevin
 

Coinstriking Michigan

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Feb 9, 2011
1,351
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Gladstone, MI
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I would simply ask if there is any ordinance forbidding it. They can't make you stop doing something just because they don't like it.
 

QuarterMaster

Full Member
Apr 25, 2012
168
44
North Central Nebraska
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Ace350
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Oh come ON. They LOVE that stuff!

Also, they like it when during a traffic stop, if you jump out and look them in the eye. Shows purpose. They respect that.
:)

I make sure I have a CD with "Bad Boys" playing when I get stopped..
 

releventchair

Gold Member
May 9, 2012
22,242
69,721
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Have gone round with wrong cop on wrong day .he was wrong,on my property my daughters welfare. fortunately a state officer was there too. Just makes the rest look a whole lot better. Was stopped on road last year and after i shook his hand and thanked him for what he does. Agree Kzack its a tough field to be in. Couldn,t pay me enough. Diggit i wouldn,t wish what you went through on my worst enemy. Hope you meet more fair police from here out. I am polite as possible in public and don,t argue with them. So far they just watch me detect. H.H. GoldenEagle, i built a casual relationship with local mayor,last time in park picking dandelions he stopped to chat. He knows i,m no threat to his village but if police have issues we can approach him. Timing important but a introduction then later discussion could avoid knee jerk policies. When approached by mayor or an agreeable officer in park next time i will offer my service if they need recovery help.
 

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dustytrails123

Bronze Member
Apr 14, 2012
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412
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I make sure I have a CD with "Bad Boys" playing when I get stopped..
In my younger days i used to drink at some big music festival's and it was great the first 3 years untill the police showed up with there portable station and crew's of officers working the crowds looking for easy money....i used to sit by the camp fire drinking listening to music and when id see them coming id fire up the bad boys song....they didnt seem to like that much
 

Diggit

Hero Member
Mar 25, 2012
811
132
Michigan
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White's MXT, DFX, GMT and Fisher F5
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Diggit i wouldn,t wish what you went through on my worst enemy. Hope you meet more fair police from here out.

No worries, it just encouraged me to get my law degree.
 

PYRATE

Full Member
Jun 24, 2012
239
98
Cackalacky
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arrr, just need me nose
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Go to the station at a slow time and ask the cop how to go about getting permission from the town, be respectful and explain that like sports, walking, birdwatching or any other activity which takes place in the park it is a hobby that gets you outside and active. Let him know that you are available to help should the police need to locate something

Chances are that he ran into you on an off day.

Regardless of what happens, you can never go wrong approaching an officer directly - bypassing him merely turns you into a jackass who bypassed him & this will guarantee that you will never get away with only a warning if he ever pulls you over for a traffic violation
 

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