Ever been approached by plice at school or park?

D

DetectorRob

Jr. Member
Aug 27, 2019
46
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Michigan
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Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Ever been approached by police at school or park?

So right after work today I went to the high school right by me. It's a fairly major high school. I figured no one would be there at 7:20 am in the morning. I was there for about 20 minutes when I saw a police car drive by my van. They didn't see me. It really spooked me though and I left promply after. I know that police in nicer cities probably act " nicer " in those cities as opposed to the cities right outside Detroit where I live. Have any of you ever been approached on school or park grounds? Should I be worried or is the most they will do ask you to leave?
 

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As long as you dont act like Rodney King youll be all right, at least with my experience but I dont detect around Detroit...
 

I have detected school grounds many times, but ONLY on weekends. I understand any concerns schools or others may have about anyone who SEEMS out of place there Monday thru Friday. As far as police? I remember only one time I was approached, and his questions were about a metal detector for his son.
 

Being a goody 2 shoes my whole life I had a bad experience. They thought I was doing something that I wasn't and it was traumatizing .
 

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Only time I was approached he asked how I was doing.
 

Quite a number of times = sometimes - time for me to go, other times "how ya doing".

Just smile and oblige :)

Edit, there we a couple times I was threatened with arrest, sure got the heck out of there those times.
 

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Our schools have a no trespassing sign posted every 10' on the wire fence that surrounds the school so I suspect if you are caught inside the fence you will be arrested.
 

And the only reason he stopped is I was getting in my car and I waved to him! Private permission, 100' in plain sight of the owner's house.
 

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Iv bin approached 2 times 2 different officers same park both times they asked how I was doing and if i was finding anything, had short conversation and now they just wave...:wave:
 

DetectorRob said:
So right after work today I went to the high school right by me. It's a fairly major high school. I figured no one would be there at 7:20 am in the morning. I was there for about 20 minutes when I saw a police car drive by my van. They didn't see me. It really spooked me though and I left promply after. I know that police in nicer cities probably act " nicer " in those cities as opposed to the cities right outside Detroit where I live. Have any of you ever been approached on school or park grounds? Should I be worried or is the most they will do ask you to leave?
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You skipped out when a cop drove by.
Then ask of anyone has been approached?
Whew...

Cops , grounds /maintenance people , citizens who live within sight , all can be expected to approach.
(I've had the village "president" stop and chat at one park).

Cops approach people for a variety of reasons. From being called to check out suspicious activity, and by busybodies, or just plain freaked out people.
A cop can be curious too.

I don't recall a cop "approaching".
I have had them watch me.
Because keeping an eye on whats going on around me (not paranoia) I glance and wave and go back to detecting.
Not thinking about the worst experience I've had with a cop , or being nervous might be why they have not pursued it further.
A matter of time , I will be approached though.
A cop looking at me like he had a question when I was scoping out a carnival was waved over and I told him I was casing the setup as usual for prime drops off certain rides like I did every year.
No arrest. No shooting or tasering or pepper spray.
He mentioned other areas that might be good if some one could get in there past the gate , And I told him access had been granted by a municipal worker before.
Then I pointed a few yards away and told him what was there in the eighteen hundreds.

No , I don't go out of my way to interact with cops that are working.
But had caught his attention , and he was observant enough to recognize I clashed with that of the carnival attendees. A good thing on his part. (And detecting in that park when it is empty of crowds looks out of place too. I've spotted folks detecting on my way past. They are doing and moving different than anyone else...)
Because I had waved him over , I thanked him for his time , and wished him a great day.

Unless you entered by a sign saying no detecting ,or are digging massive deep holes , leaving damage or sign of recoveries behind you or something outrageous ...Relax.

I would not object to a cop checking someone (non student or staff ect.) out who was hanging out in a schoolyard.
They don't always know what we are doing....
When local authorities recognize you and what you are doing , it is much less an issue.
 

One beach I go to has some idiot dig big holes and leave them open. I have made a point to fill mine and leave them pretty. I generally wave at a ranger's truck if they go nearby.
 

smokeythecat said:
One beach I go to has some idiot dig big holes and leave them open. I have made a point to fill mine and leave them pretty. I generally wave at a ranger's truck if they go nearby.
Click to expand...

I fill in both mine and the holes dug by others, and pick up their trash, just to avoid the perception that the ugly holes with adjacent pull tabs and bottle caps might be mistaken for my holes.
 

Sometimes I kick theirs shut too. Funniest approach story: I was detecting a farm that was going to be developed soon, with permission. I didn't get much. However this guy who was apparently new to the country (deep accent, although it doesn't really matter) and lived in some of the new rowhouses came over and asked what I saw doing. He had no clue what a detector was. So I put down a coin and showed him how the machine beeped when it went over it. He walked away with a look of "why would anybody want to do that"?

I should have told him it's not a big deal, just looking for lost radioactive waste canisters. But no, I'm too nice. But that would have been awesome when the police arrived!
 

Since all the shooting problems, the schools around here don't allow you on the grounds during school hours. Was walking the other day and just took a shortcut though edge of the school playground and someone came out and told me no trespassing..
 

Smokey - LOL. How truly dumb of us not to use paper money detectors...
 

About 1984 I went to the Bahamas with some friends. I packed my detector in a hard case and had no trouble getting in. My friends went to gamble and I went out on the beach to hunt. Within a few minutes I had people coming up to me asking if I could find their vault keys or rings. If you lost your vault key it would cost $75 for another. In the few hrs I was on the beach I made around $400. My friends lost a couple of grand. I also found some great gold rings.

When I was ready to leave a guy in a uniform approached me and said that detecting was illegal and how did I get the detector in the country. I explained to him how I did it and he asked where he could buy a detector. I had a Kelylco sticker on the detector which I took off and gave to him. He then wrote me a note saying I had permission to bring it into the country and to show it to anyone who asked.

When we were leaving the country at the airport they opened the detector case. Their eyes got big and they said I was to be arrested. I showed them the note and they asked how I knew the PM..... I told them he was my best friend and they let me go. All in all over the 3 day weekend I made over $1,000 finding keys and rings and took home 12 gold rings I found that no one asked for along with a pocket full of change. I also had about 40 vault keys which I turned into the hotels and got $10 a piece for them. A great trip for me! My friends, not so much...
 

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Detroit they are very forgiving of alot police community relations is good mostly Chif Craig's policy
 

I was approached by Uof M police he was a coin collector I had found a ring and a 1923 silver Canadian coin he was really cool
 

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