Informal Poll...Arrested or cited for metal detecting.

[thrillathahunt]

Nope. No arrests or fines here either, and I have been approached NUMEROUS times by police. This includes public city parks, school grounds and private property.

Edit: Of course I always have permission on PRIVATE property.

 

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[MoJoe]

I was escorted by Iowa State Patrol out of Des Moines County Iowa for following a lead in the GPAA claims guide. They wanted to take my book and my detector, but I told them if they were not charging me with a crime - then they weren't taking anything. I was then escorted between 2 cars out of the county.

 

[augoldminer]

Got stopped once after i walked up on a marijuana grow.
Yes i saw the pot but ignored it and turned around like i never even saw it.

The cops wanted to know what i was doing and i said that a dumb question as i had my metal detector.
They did not say anything about the marijuana grow,
I guess they did not want me saying anything to others if i had not seen it till they told me about it.

 

[krazyace]

I've been metal detecting since the mid seventies, I have heard stories of people getting arrested or cited for detecting but have never talked to anyone who actually has. I would like to ask this question: Have you ever been arrested or cited for metal detecting? Not warned or kicked out of a park by employees but actually arrested and or cited, first hand information only please. I would venture to say it will be very few or none at all.I might also add that I'm a retired officer and never observed anyone get cited or arrested in the three different departments that I worked at. So anyone?

around 12-13 years ago I was detecting at a beach, Lake Lansing in MI, I don't remember if it was spring or fall but it was still cold so not many people there. Anyway I had a police woman come up and tell me it was illegal at any public areas in town and that she could have confiscated my metal detector if she wanted too. So I got a stern warning and kept my detector out of town.

 

[boogeyman]

Back in the early 80s asked a ranger in California if it was OK to go this way. He told me it was OK but don't go the other way across the wash, that was a closed area. Along comes another ranger who is tying to be stealthy running from rock to rock. I yelled out "I can see your smokey!" Long story short he cuffed us, hauled us back down to the ranger station. The first ranger was called. Even after he told ranger #2 he gave us wrong directions #2 still wanted to write a warning. #1 told him to forget it & told us to get in his truck. He gave us a ride back to my jeep. I made a remark about what a hard a** #2 was. #1 replied count your blessings, you don't have to work with him! Best of all no ticket or having any equipment seized.

 

[coinbug]

I purchased my detector from a retired police officer, a real enthusiast, like, I presume, is the OP.

Most police officers are going to be more or less on our side, or indifferent. Not always the same with park officials, or whatever, but most real cops are not going to see us as a threat, and may even be curious about the hobby. There is certainly no glory in messing up a metal detectorist .

Be polite, don't admit anything, dispute any tickets or charges.

 

[OCPickle]

I purchased my detector from a retired police officer, a real enthusiast, like, I presume, is the OP.


Most police officers are going to be more or less on our side, or indifferent. Not always the same with park officials, or whatever, but most real cops are not going to see us as a threat, and may even be curious about the hobby. There is certainly no glory in messing up a metal detectorist .

Be polite, don't admit anything, dispute any tickets or charges.

As one of these cops I can attest to this. If it is on private property we can't do anything unless the owner of the property wants something done. Even then we will try to make it go away because the DA won't file (especially in So Cal). Of course every circumstance is different.

 

[catherine1]

Get rid of these politicians/attorneys. Just vote the fat one out.

 

[Georgiy]

I've been metal detecting since the mid seventies, I have heard stories of people getting arrested or cited for detecting but have never talked to anyone who actually has. I would like to ask this question: Have you ever been arrested or cited for metal detecting? Not warned or kicked out of a park by employees but actually arrested and or cited, first hand information only please. I would venture to say it will be very few or none at all.I might also add that I'm a retired officer and never observed anyone get cited or arrested in the three different departments that I worked at. So anyone?

I am sure Police officers concentrate on criminals, not hobbyists. And use their logic. CA is about to release 3000 prisoners (drug dealers, pot sellers etc.). Do you think it is reasonable to put a hobbyist in jail for his hobby. When this happened - this will be USSR with its communist regime. So far, common sence wins.

 

[Georgiy]

I don't understand laws that prohibit this such as national forest which cover a lot of lad around where I live that is wilderness. Do we not pay taxes on these government lands. Why should they not be for our recreational use. Artifact laws are just a way to keep us the people from making a profit or just using the land for recreation. What does it mater if things are buried there that have been there for hundreds of years. They will remain buried. yes I understand not disturbing graves but other then Thant what does it matter if we the tax payer find things. god created the land for our use and it does not belong to government. Most of there land they lay claim to was taken from someone else such as the Indians. How does government figure they have a right to keep us from using the land and searching for things lost by some one many years ago.

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I think you confuse two different things. We can in National forests but can not in National Parks.

 

[PhilBarnett]

USE OF METAL DETECTORS ON THE CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST Pursuant to Title 36 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR), Section 261.50 (a) and (b) and Forest Wide Closure Order No. 344, signed by the Forest Supervisor and dated January 26, 2009 use of metal detectors, electronic apparatus and devices used for locating metal is prohibited for any purpose except in the following swimming beach areas: • Mac Point Recreation Area Beach • Parksville Beach • Chilhowee Recreation Area Beach • Indian Boundary Recreation Area Beach • Jacob’s Creek Recreation Area Beach • Shook Branch Recreation Area Beach • Watauga Point Recreation Area Beach • Rock Creek Recreation Area Beach Definition "Swimming Beach Area" means a developed and designated swimming area and its waterfront associated grass/sand beach area within the recreation area. Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50 (e) the following persons or area are exempt from the Closure Order: • Persons with a special use permit specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission, issued by the District Ranger. • Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.

 

[FinderKeeper]

O Ya, Been there and done that. We located something of major value on State Land (DCNR) in Pa. and after working the site for 7 years with DCNR permission , DCNR came in and dug at the site when we where gone. Ya, I have them on camera. DCNR threw us off the site when we called the FBI and State Police. Now the state lawers and our lawyer are working out a deal or we will take this to Federal Court soon. Ya we got papers from the state lawyers telling us the do's and don'ts or else. Can they take everything you own related to treasure hunting (YES) will they give you a reward (NO) They would like to find something on us so they can band us from all Pa. lands. Most of us are connected to law enforcement so we do it the right way, but they keep a eye on us all the time and hope we screw up . We now have sites in Pa.,Va, Fa., Ma, Out west, and in Nova Scotia so you have to know the laws in each state and know how to get around the laws. This is the new part of treasure hunting. TRUST NO ONE not even the Gov.

 

[cudamark]

Ok, I'll bite.....where is Fa? and what kind of detector is a GPL?

 

[twogunz]

There are times when that 100 dollar ticket seems small and cheaper to pay than fight. What if you fought it, and then won, set a precedent that all other courts can follow. BY letting it slide teh precedent is get fined pay it and no detecting. We are shooting ourselves in teh foot.. I once got stopped by our federal police for detecting a dirt pile from an excavation. I found buttons and older pennies dating to confederation. He said he was going to confiscate everything. I asked him his authority and told him confiscation comes with a fine and please ticket me. I fought and won. Precedent set, now others detect teh same area and dirt piles I did without fear of teh federales. I won because teh law was actually silent with regards to metal detecting and when teh law is silent you can do it.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

two-gunz, thanx for chiming in. Reminds me of a fellow who got hassled by the cops, while park hunting, in a certain major city here in CA. They actually gave him a ticket! It was a measily $100 or whatever. But rather than "pay it to make it go away", he did as you suggested (in-lieu of no "specific" prohibition on md'ing). He made the appointment to go to court and fight it. The day came, and it was the typical "cattle call" of all sorts of minor traffic issues, and other such court docket calendaring. His turn came to have his 30 seconds to tell the judge why he felt he was innocent. He started in with his lines about how this must all be a mistake, and he was merely metal detecting, and he'd studied to make sure there were no prohibitions, and that it's an innocent hobby and he leaves no traces, removes trash, helps people find their lost personal items, blah blah. He got no more than 20 seconds into his statement, when the judge interupted him and said "ticket dismissed". Some papers were stamped, and he was sent on his way.

That fellow xeroxed off that "dismissed ticket" paperwork from then on out, in his back-pocket, whenever he hunted that large city's pariks again, in case he ever needed to show it to any other "busy-body" cops. In fact, some others also got xerox copies of it too for their use "just in case", haha

The reason I find that story interesting, is that FAR TOO OFTEN, in cases like someone getting booted or ticketed, THIS IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS IN MD'ing circles. Instead, here's what tends to happen: The skittish md'r tucks his tail between his legs, and naturally assumes "oh no, it's illegal to detect here". Then he dutifully posts on forums, and spreads the news to others in his club, that "such & such city is off-limits". And before long, it's just accepted as absolute fact.

This is why whenever I read on forums someone say "such & such state's parks are off-limits" or "all federal land is off-limits" or "such & such city parks are off-limits", etc.... That I sometimes have to wonder "how do you know?" or "Is this really so?". Because often-time, when you look into such supposed prohibitions, it's often the very psychology of someone getting an isolated booting, or someone waltzing into city hall somewhere, or asking an over-zealous archie "can I?" and getting a "no" answer (when no real rule exists saying such a thing *specifically*, and you merely got a desk-bound bureaucrat giving the "safe answer")

 

[Guest 1551]

I had one (removed by mod ) cop tell me not to go on the beach part of a NP but to stay on the beach where it was legal.
#1 I was walking to our condo
#2 the detector was off and I had folded it up
#3 I was kicking my brother's soccer ball!
This same $@)&& had told me to fill in a sand castle earlier this year. I HATE BEACH PATROL WITH A PASSION! I don't care about your d@mn sea turtles or old people not seeing the 8 ft by 8ft (one foot high) sand castle wall! JEEZ!

 

[Bumpstick]

30 years detecting, no tickets no jail time.
Usualy the ones with a big mouth stays at least my shovel length away.
The one I liked was the comment I own the land to the center of the water. You stay on that side.
Just follow the best practices and fill your holes and all is golden.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I had one (removed by mod ) cop tell me not to go on the beach part of a NP but to stay on the beach where it was legal.
#1 I was walking to our condo
#2 the detector was off and I had folded it up
#3 I was kicking my brother's soccer ball!
This same $@)&& had told me to fill in a sand castle earlier this year. I HATE BEACH PATROL WITH A PASSION! I don't care about your d@mn sea turtles or old people not seeing the 8 ft by 8ft (one foot high) sand castle wall! JEEZ!

Please watch language, substituting characters for letters does not make it okay...







American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

 

[Soul-Burn]

RJSuperSonic, its just like with the guns and ammo scare last year. Everyone was afraid of the cops taking their guns away. Its a joke. Always a friend of a friend whom had it happen to them. Same with arrests for metal detecting. If someone is arrested then I guarantee something else was going on with that person. The story has been changed ever so slightly so that they did nothing wrong other than metal detecting. People are ummm... Foolish will be the word I choose to use here. Its always a friend of a friend and in reality that means its a bulls**t story lol

~ Leo

 

[SkySgt]

The only other time was a friend at a federal military base. It was admittedly historic-in-nature. The two buddies each got tickets. And of such a insignificant amount, that it was more of a nuisance than anything. Something on the order of $150 each. The lady MP that got them, waited till they were getting back to their car to leave, and told them she'd been watching them for over an hour. Which sort of irked my friends because .... in their mind ..... it was like ....... "if this is so friggin' wrong, why didn't you come over here and talk to us, or give us the ticket, an hour ago??". I suppose they too could have fought it, as there was no posting to the effect, and I suppose they might have argued they didn't have anything over 50 yr. old, or were looking for their boyscout ring, etc.. But when they saw the amounts of the ticket, it was just easier to pay and not fool with it.

NEVER EVER hunt military installations without first getting permission from the base commander! I have permission to hunt the base park at Randolph AFB, but I had to run it through channels first. I sent an email to the base Public Affairs Office and asked how I go about getting permission. The PA officer put me in touch with the two units on base that I needed to get permission from ... The base Security Police (so they know what I am doing ahead of time), and the base Grounds Maintenance Office (digging permission). Both offices replied back via email that they had no issues with me doing metal detecting in the park. I saved both emails and have them in a binder, in which I keep my other municipal permission slips, and keep the binder in my vehicle at all times. In her email to the SP and GM units the PA officer said she was surprised and very pleased that someone actually asked permission ahead of time. I'm convinced that this is what got me permission to hunt on an otherwise off-limits, historic military installation. So, keep in mind, never hunt without written permission. A little courtesy can go a long way!