What should I do?

[radarwill]

I live in a town that has a very old common area, dates back to the 1790's. The police department will not allow any metal detecting on this area. You must go through the selectmen and receive written permission to hunt there.
I just completed a letter to the selectmen recently and am waiting for this months meeting to champion my request and get my answer. I'm a town employee as an EMT and have stated that any historical artifacts will be returned to the town. I think I have a pretty good chance of being granted permission; especially considering I took one of the senior members to the hospital once during a medical emergency.

It depends on which cop is on duty whether or not they will run you off. My wife just got home and says that there are two guys detecting the common area rite now. I know for a fact that the selectmen have never given permission to anyone.
I feel kinda screwed for going the long route. Should I say someting to the detectorist or leave it alone?

 

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[Farmercal]

Leave it alone. If there is no ordinance against detecting there, I don't see how it is wrong.

 

[erikk]

There is a very good chance I detected that common in the 60's

 

[Tom_in_CA]

A few questions for you. You say: "The police department will not allow any metal detecting on this area. You must go through the selectmen and receive written permission to hunt there." Who told you this? I mean, did you go to city hall, and ask "Can I metal detect at such & such?". If so, you should have phrased it "Is there anything that addresses metal detecting in city codes?" You see the difference? If you walk in with the psychology of "asking permission" you only put the deskbound bureaucrat in the position of easily saying "no", when in fact, there may be no prohibitions (silent on the issue) to begin with.

Anyone in city hall who says "yes", only put himself on-the-line for responsibility. Why should he be bothered? What's the easy answer? When in fact, if you had just gone, you'd probably have been ignored (barring if you are a moron leaving holes).

I know a couple of ace park-hunter who fly out 1x per year to the east coast (Mass, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc...) from CA, for the express purpose of getting a rental car and just cruising around the old parks there. They go town to small town just sampling old commons, courthouse lawns, parks, schools, etc.. Like, if they don't start getting IHs, large cents, seateds, etc... in the first hour or two, they move on. He is continually amazed at the easy pickens at east coast commons. Once in a blue-moon some city personell will come up and say something, and, if so, they just move on. I asked him "how often is that?". He estimated 1 per 20 spots they stop to detect. But here's the clincher: If they had stopped in at each city hall, with a shovel in hand, asking "can I dig buried treasure in the city park?" What do you think the replies would be? There's a heck of a lot of places, where ...........truth be told ..... no one cares till you ask.

An example of this in my own town, is we used to detect at-will, un-bothered, in all schools and parks in my town, all during the '70s and into the '80s. No one ever said a thing. It never occured to us you needed "permission" to detect public parks. Then one day a new comer to town, takes it upon himself to go down to city hall and ask "can I metal detect in Central Park". He found someone to tell him "no". He announces this at the next club meeting ....... and we're all like "since when?"

 

[strike it rich]

dont see why u should ask permission if every one else is getting the goodies by not asking

 

[Jim-MI]

If there is no sign.. Go for it!