Awful Police Encounter (Very Long)

[SpokaneDigger]

any chance that bastard is a Treasure Hunter himself and is just trying to save this park for himself???? There has got to be a reason he is abusing his authority. I probably would have been going to jail if i thought i had permission to be there and he was raining on my parade, good for you for gettin out of there when you did.

 

[Uncle Willy]

No that doesn't sound like you. But I can understand being confronted and hassled by that goon can ruin your whole day. Hope you can put the screws to him in some way This guy doesn't belong on the street dealing with the public I know how their clique operates. I have a dear friend in California who years ago was with the L.A. Sheriffs Department but had to quit because it wasn't in his nature to be the arse hole they demanded him to be.. In regards to your goon - there's at least one on every force Keep us posted on the results. I'd like to see you come out smelling like a rose.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

Not unless you have no qualms about shaking hands with a rattlesnake. This cretin is bad news from the get go.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

Yeah one needs to go right to the top honcho and skip over all the "let's cover each other's butts" underlings. That way the crap only has one way to go - back down the bureaucratic ladder and smack on the head of the offending party.

Bill

 

[Treasure Nut]

any chance that bastard is a Treasure Hunter himself and is just trying to save this park for himself???? There has got to be a reason he is abusing his authority.

I agree! 3 years ago, I was given permission to metal detect parks by the "City parks department".

2 years ago I was approached by an authorative person in a high producing soccer park claiming he worked in City Hall. He verbally gave me his name and told me to phone him at the city number. This individual said I could not metal detect this soccer park or any other park in the city, for that matter. I phoned him the next day. He did work for the city, and although the bylaw does not state anything about metal detecting, told me that I cannot retrieve finds out of the ground.

To make a long story short, I visited this highly producing park for a night hunt a few days later, only to find the 3 soccer fields, in that park, have been stripped absolutely clean of any coins, jewellery, and junk. And yes, I could see all the dig marks where he's been. (and I use a screwdriver to retrieve finds and leave no trace of my presence).

 

[pedrod]

I understand your frustration. Obviously totally out of line. That official was a true &#$%^ Hole!

I have had the opportunity to live out of the country for three years. I am american and after my expatriate experience, I am well aware of a large number of ignorant americans in this country. As always unless they are native american there ancestors usually came from europe 100-200 years ago.

So I would not let an idiot take any of my metal detecting time away from me. If the park is really important for you to hunt try to get written permision or some type of proof to hunt in the park so if that idiot shows up again you have something to show him.

A true Jerk!

Peter

 

[kickback]

Chris
I call the police chief or sheriff of the counties I'm going to detect in,sometimes the county attorney.I ask them if their is an ordinance or law against metal detecting in anyplace in the county.No one has ever said their was.I always,so far have had them say "Go ahead".I had one officer question me one time.I told him "I'd talked with the county attorney and he told me it was OK".He said someone called in about suspicous activity at the Fairgrounds.He just left.I believe in C.Y.A.(cover your dorsal glutteals).If I were you I'd file a formal complaint with that officers superior.Bill

 

[Hart-IN]

I hope that jerk doesn't have enough clout to help get a new ordinance passed to stop you from going back. He was probably just mad that you came into town with your Garrett to clean out all the good stuff he was missing with his ebay special.

 

[Old Katz]

You should have taken the license number of the car.
It has been my understanding that any law enforcement officer MUST identify
his or herself, period, if they stop you.
Katz
Something smells fishy

 

[khouse]

If he and the Mayor are buddies your sure to see a new law pushed through behind closed doors.

 

[cwilk]

I'm leaning toward it. We sound similar in style. I do not hunt anywhere without permission from somebody. The police have come out on a few occasions after getting calls about me too. We usually end up laughing about it but sometimes they ask the caller if he has a _________ truck (I have a very distinctive truck.) and that's the end of it. I was metal detecting within 30 feet of the front door of the town police building at the time. I had permission to be there. I told this guy I had permission to detect. His reponse was that I didn't have permission to dig and when I said I don't dig we went around and around. The guy was a true blue asshole.

I found this site after I had been kicked out of our high school by the pricipal. Read my first or second post if interested. Later I went to a school board meeting, asked permission to metal detect and pop coins, and got it. The pricipal didn't even remember tossing me out, or so he says. He was being a bully that day too. This world would be so much better if everybody just slowed down and thought a little before they spoke or acted. I include myself. I pop off about illegals too frequently. Maybe that's a bad example, I still want to send all those suckers home.

Chris

 

[cwilk]

I did get the license. I got the guys name too. Eventually. It's all in that long post. I cut out the names and places just in case, you know? That's all the lines.

Chris

 

[Bernie]

Sorry to hear that this happened to you. I had a similar situation where a part ranger kicked me out of a beach that I was detecting. I ended up contacting the head of the state parks and received an apology. He also told me that detecting on the beaches was absolutely allowed. They appreciated the trash removal.. I went back to the beach for round 2 and the ranger tried to kick me out again, but ended up backing down. I wasn't trying to be a jerk, but to make a point which he finally got. He admitted that his boss had received a call from his boss and that ended the conversation. We ended up shaking hands and agreed not to hustle each other.

I know it can be stressful and a pain in the ass, but I encourage you to follow up on this matter. This guy obviously needs a lesson and clearly forgets who he works for!! :veryangry: I am a member of the judiciary in my state and certainly take a dim view of over reaching police actions.

Good luck.

 

[Uncle Willy]

I thought so. That's standard procedure.

Bill

 

[Bum Luck]

You have to report him to upper level management. If you do nothing he will keep on bothering other detectorists. Get all your facts about what, when and where you can detect. Stay within the law. Good Luck and don't let one butt-head get you down.

File a written complaint with the Sheriff. He's the only superior officer that counts. CC to the County Sheriff's Committee members. and maybe to the entire County Board.

Chances are that this guy has made some other enemies since he is engaging in Chicken Sh*t behavior, and your complaint will enable them to put another nail in his coffin. DO NOT have another run-in with him, though. If he shows up, call 911 for backup. That puts your call for help on record.

 

[camel]

dint let that creep get by with what he did to you.jerks like him give all policemen a bad image.the sheriff should be that persons boss,meet with him face to face and tell him what the guy did.

 

[Leslie(nova scotia)]

n/t

 

[Yaridnac]

Sorry to hear what happen to you. I hope you go for this mother funky and give him what he deserves and after that you can hopefully forget about all this and go back to what we love doing .
I had some other experiences too of me just even riding my bike and got stopped. I was asked Where I bought my bike, how much, where was the store, how long I have been in the united states(Yes believe it or not!!!) and many crap more. We have issues here in Davis with those kind of cops. I didn't do anything about it though. Had past experiences like that, I just think that there is a bigger power up there that will deal with them later and I go on with my life.
Happy Metal detecting !!!!

 

[ZIPZIP]

n/t