If you read about this in various newspaper articles, you'll see the scary stuff referring to "looters" and so forth, was cited from state-level archaeologist type persons. Well duh, what did you expect. They would say that even if they saw you in the local sandbox.
I mean, wouldn't that be a little like asking a PETA (an animal rights wacko group) rep for a newspaper article: "
Can you tell our readers if they can leave their pet bunny in the car for a minute while they run into the 7-11 to buy a soda?" The PETA rep would scream "neeooohhh! you can be arrested for animal cruelty, blah blah blah". Well duh, what did you expect coming from a peta rep wacko? Thus the same psychology applies here: What did you expect coming from an archie, who inherently hates md'ing or anyone to so much as pick up a seashell?
I suspect that the supposed "arrests" were for indian artifact stuff. And as Lakemonster's post shows, fishing lures, casual fumble finger's type losses, etc.... no one really cares. Oh sure, is that to say if you ask enough archie's "can I?" that you will not eventually find someone to scream "no". But if you start down that route, you might as well hang up the detector in your closet, because I gaurantee you, if you ask enough people, you can always find someone to tell you "no", for every single place.