Todays find: The Police

[Tom_in_CA]

Yes you have several answers telling you how they've solved such encounters by having "permission" before they even start. But the inherent problem with that is: You might also get a "no", where .... quite frankly ... no one ever cared (till you asked). So sometimes asking simply ends up creating attnetion, "no's" and rules, where no one ever had an issue before.

Notice that the VAST majority of persons answering your post have said they would simply nip any such encounters in the b*tt, and go when such lookie-lous aren't present. For example, I'll bet you dollars-to-donuts that that superintendent is off on Sunday afternoons. Or federal holidays, etc... Sure I wish it wasn't like this . Sure I wish every last person in the city loved us and rolled out red-carpets for us. And you can certainly try to get that to happen. Or .... just avoid such persons who "might not like it" from the git-go. Yes I know this sounds law-less since you've now been told scram. But I see it's the advice you're getting from several others too (wetfly, goldkey, etc...)

 

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[shawninNY]

If you went on school property during school hours your asking for trouble , as far as you have the right the to use the property because you pay property taxes you don't , if you don't have a child attending that school you shouldn't be on the property during school hours! After school and weekends shouldn't be an issue !

 

[Pdr206]

Shawn

Have stated previously was there when no children were present for school activities. First time I had an issue. It is my own fault for frequenting the location on a weekday. I miss the days of not having to worry much about nosy people, but now this country has itself so damn paranoid.

Clean holes dug, soil and plug on a huge plastic bag, target retrieved and plug filled. Cant hardly tell i was there. Have recycled at least 8 lbs of garbage and retrieved many old bullets, shells, casings, knives and sharp aluminum siding pieces.

Shame, oldest surviving school in my area at 1919. The older school locations are now housing developments.

 

[shawninNY]

It's a different world we live in, it sucks , schools on Long Island are usually posted that grounds are not for public use ( except if your dog needs to ****) ( or if you and 40 of your closest undocumented friends want to play soccer and leave beer cans and trash all over , every Sunday) but don't let them see you pick up a nickel , I've been asked to leave a school too, just hit yours during evenings and weekends good luck happy hunting

 

[Alan Applegate]

Here in Roswell, NM, hunting on school grounds is verboten (and finable), except for two schools which border city parks—and then they watch it like a hawk (child predators, don't you know).

The only place I have been hassled is on the court house grounds (technically a park). So, I limit my visits to times court is not in session.

 

[flinthunter]

I never hunt school yards until after they let out for summer vacation. Much less chance of getting kicked out for good.

 

[Chug And Red]

Never go To a School During school hours, or during Events! HH Chug

That's just asking for the Police visit!! With everything Going on these day with predators Its Best to Keep it to the Weekends when it Comes to schools!! One of our Favorite sites Is on School Grounds! Only one Police visit on that Place Neighbor Said There we 2 People Doing something Weird!! lol Chug

 

[Jeremy S]

A little girl came up to me at the park one day talking about some guys who were swinging machines like I had on their playground during school one day. And then she told me how the police came and ran them off. Those guys were idiots.

I have detected public school property, but only after obtaining permission from the director of facilities, who is over maintenance. His only rule was that I could not detect during school hours or around after school events when they were taking place. This was in the summer time so I just went after work when I normally detect and had no problems. I treat detecting a school like I was going to detect private property, always get permission and respect their rules.

People are real funny about strangers wandering around school property these days. You can thank the sex offenders, kidnappers, and murderers for that. Most public schools around here even have a police officer stationed on site. Face it, we live in a paranoid society anymore.

Maybe its just luck but nobody ever hassles me when I detect, but I typically go early or late in the day and avoid people and crowded areas. Perhaps the OP should try the same.

 

[Kaleb71386]

Here in Roswell, NM, hunting on school grounds is verboten (and finable), except for two schools which border city parks—and then they watch it like a hawk (child predators, don't you know).

The only place I have been hassled is on the court house grounds (technically a park). So, I limit my visits to times court is not in session.

Dose the court house have a historic marker?? In my town it dose so I know it's off limits for me

 

[Tom_in_CA]

...I have detected public school property, but only after obtaining permission from the director of facilities, who is over maintenance. ...Maybe its just luck but nobody ever hassles me when I detect, but I typically go early or late in the day and avoid people and crowded areas. ....

Jeremy, question for you: Ok, so you say you got the director of facilities "permission". But ... it appears you never had to "cite" this permission to anyone, right? I mean, .... if no one ever came out to you to take issue (because you go late or early, etc...), then ... whether or not you'd "had permission" seems to be a moot point, eh? You never had to drop the name, or flash a paper to someone, etc... anyhow, right?

Or in the case of the OP, as you can see, it was the superintendent who booted him. So to apply that to your case, notice goldkey's experience in #38 (which repeats itself over and over in other posts of "permission" on forums all the time). So as you can see, the same thing can happen in your case too.

HOWEVER, your conclusion says it all in your last sentence: pick wise times where such busy-bodies aren't likely to be there to gripe, to-begin-with. Presto, problem solved.

 

[Pdr206]

Again, was detecting way after school hours. No kids or teachers present.

Edit: only people present were adults playing softball several hundred feet away from me.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Again, was detecting way after school hours. No kids or teachers present.

Edit: only people present were adults playing softball several hundred feet away from me.

But as you say, it was on a school day (weekday). It's not unusual for staff and administrators to be there till 5 or 6pm. And janitor staff even later yet. But on weekends or federal holidays ....... well .... So peaceful. So serene , eh ?

 

[Pdr206]

Yup, and as i stated before, my own fault for going there. Just down the road from me, easy pickins. Too noticeable there as is evidenced.

 

[bigscoop]

These type properties always present a catch22 situation. In this day and age if you ask beforehand you're likely to get a "no". On the other hand, if you just go, even when the time appears right, there's a chance someone is going to show up and ask you to leave. Some say, "no big deal, just leave." But each time this happens it just becomes "another guy with a metal detector was detecting where it wasn't allowed" and the hobby simply doesn't need any more of that either. So in my mind, most of the time it's a no win situation these days. Probably damned if you do, and at some point probably damned if you don't. When possible stick to private properties with landowner permission.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

... there's a chance someone is going to show up and ask you to leave. Some say, "no big deal, just leave." But each time this happens it just becomes "another guy with a metal detector was detecting where it wasn't allowed" and the hobby simply doesn't need any more of that either....

big-scoop, I've heard this assertion before. The idea that: if you just go, yet got a "scram", from "Joe Blow", that it might cause powers-that-be to decide to "make a rule". But this strikes me as odd. Because, let's just say for the sake of argument that this happened. But think about it: if "Joe Blow" had told you "scram", then how does the subsequent "rule" change anything then? I mean, doesn't the mere fact of a scram ALREADY mean it "wasn't allowed" (using your own words)?

 

[bigscoop]

big-scoop, I've heard this assertion before. The idea that: if you just go, yet got a "scram", from "Joe Blow", that it might cause powers-that-be to decide to "make a rule". But this strikes me as odd. Because, let's just say for the sake of argument that this happened. But think about it: if "Joe Blow" had told you "scram", then how does the subsequent "rule" change anything then? I mean, doesn't the mere fact of a scram ALREADY mean it "wasn't allowed" (using your own words)?

I never said, "it wasn't allowed"......."I said it becomes that." Might be no actual "rule" against it at all. i.e., "perception."

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Now you all know why I am anti-social when it comes to the general public! It's not that "I" am doing anything wrong, it's just that "they" have nothing better to do that ruin my day! Very early Sunday morning is my prime hunting time...no people around!

1.Lost detecting on Nantasket beach because people with detectors were stealing stuff and saying they found it. Arresting them would have been the right thing to do, but no, they ban detecting on that beach! So MD'ers are forever punished for what a person who probably doesn't detect did!

2.Was told I could detect but not dig in a town park I have been to lots of times before in full view of police. He pulls to a stops right in front of me and said this as I watched people digging clams and a boy and his dog digging shells. But I was the evil one with the detector on this day...someone needs a hobby besides ruining mine!

I do detect the elementary schools in my city very early Sunday morning the police patrol talks to me, I almost have him talked into getting a detector! I looked for a stolen & tossed cell phone for him once at the junior high, couldn't find it, probably on the roof.
I have been to the high school but only when they have other events going on because there are more adult people around (extremely large school) so they assume I am a parent passing time, works for me! Being on school grounds is probably easier for women MD'ers than the guys.

Other than a cloak of invisibility I keep a very low profile, no holes, no trace I was there.
If there comes a time I am told I can't detect there the city officials will be getting a visit from me questioning why my tax money is being used to keep me off the very land I am paying for and am denied use of while others can use it, maybe the ACLU would be interested.

Really are they that afraid of the magic we conjure? It's not like I'm dressed in a wizard's robe, or ridding a broom!
We shall go about our business of hunting treasure while trying not to arouse the ire of the public! GL to all & HH!

 

[Alan Applegate]

the court house here in Roswell, is part of the city's park system. Therefore, it is fair game. However, a couple of the judges don't like it, because the Magistrate court rooms are on the ground floor. That's easy to accommodate by hunting on the weekends.

The school yards are owned by the Roswell Independent School District, and they get really upset if you hunt them.

 

[WHADIFIND]

Pdr206, Great post. Commonly disputed topic, with persons giving a wide range of ideas...

I've watched your responses to this topic and for the most part I agree with you. The ole "outta sight, outta mind", still plays best. But, there is an aspect to that, that I'm not sure is getting across.

If we always ask permission, sure as you're born, it's going to bring before the powers that be a chance to perform some more of their "phoney baloney jobs". When, as you point out, most of them would not have even thought there was an issue to be dealt with UNTIL somebody asked. It very well could cause even more grief for us.

But, on the other hand, if we act according to the perception that most people have of us, pirates, scavengers, ne'er do wells, or gold feverish drooling, tree climbing, coin licking idiots. As backed up by the gospel of cable tv shows. Then, by just jumping out and starting to dig where we don't have permission is sure to keep us painted with the truth of "boom baby".

It's just another one of THOSE scavengers! Tearing up OUR fine lil park AGAIN!! I'll have the law on 'em!

Quite the "Catch 22", isn't it? We "sneak" around and we really are "sneaks", we go for permission and we get ruled on and the new law says, "No sneaks allowed".

The best I can offer is to do as has been suggested. Go when the bizzy bodies are out of touch, at least in the short term.

In the long term? I'd suggest that we start thinking about how we can get across to the "higher ups" that we ALSO have a vote and so do our families, friends, etc. They need to know that we won't just sit in the back of the bus, so to speak. Also, it still might be a good idea to call the police ourselves from time to time. To report people who are lying to the police. Maybe sue for defamation. Just my take.

 

[Pointman]

My friend and me went to a town to detect. He knew some officers at the police department and they said that there wasn't anything that they could do if we detected the parks and schools and even told us about a city lot across the street that we could detect. A week later we went to the lot. My friend was finding a few wheat pennies and then a well dressed man came across the street from the city office and gave us some small talk. I wasn't feeling well and I pretty much was just watching my friend at the time, but he was looking at the hole I just dug and said that it was ok for us to dig as long as we kept our holes no bigger then the one I just dug and that we pick up after ourselves. He was friendly enough, but kept stressing how he was "going to let us dig" if we kept our holes to a minimum. I wasn't irritated, but he kept bringing up the topic of allowing us to dig. Perhaps he was the mayor, I don't know, but he didn't seem to care that we were told about the place from a couple of officers across the adjacent street.