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Kicked out of the park

G

Goldmanjace

New member
I had an interesting moment yesterday. I was just getting started and wanted to do a little metal detecting at our local park. I had dug 2 targets and put everything back (plug) and packed it. Could not even see that anything was dug. Then a man walks up to me and tells me his name and that he is the supervisor for the parks and that they do not allow this anymore because of the holes. I told him I close my holes and he said that he watched me and that yes I did close the holes but there are others that dont. So I told him that once again because there is one bad apple all others have to suffer! I asked him if there is an ordinace out there that prohibits me from doing this and he said he does not know, he does not think so but if there is not then there will be a week later if they want. He called his boss on the phone and asked if detecting is allowed and then he told me after getting off the phone that they did not want it. I then went home called the local police station and asked if I could metal detect parks and if there was an ordinance to prohibit me from doing so. The police officer told me that it is LEGAL to metal detect in parks. So, what do you guys think I should do?
 
that is what I thought. But him saying that "well if there is not one in place yet then there will be in a few weeks"

So what do you say about this?
 
park person who approached you.

This might help your case

Good luck ..let us know what happens to this situation.

Magyar
 
If you are in a small town, I'd go to the next City council meeting with photos and pics. of your digging techniques showing how thoughtful and conscientious you are during a targets retrieval. Let them know that you shouldn't be restricted because of just a few bad apples and that You agree that the park areas are beautiful and should be kept that way. Show them the handfull of trash that you remove etc.. Suggest that some sort of a "Free" detector permit issued on an annual basis. That way they may be able to identify the "bad guys" and stop them completely. I know here in St. Petersburg, Florida that Ft. Desoto Park (a State Park) issues free detector permits and they are good for a lifetime. You simply go in to the rangers office, ask for a permit, you fill out the paper work and off you go. It's good from the high tide, beach area out into the gulf of Mexico. I believe the permit asks that you check in at the Rangers station when you come in for a day of detecting that way they know you are there. I rarely do and have never had a problem with the Rangers. If you make a good presentation, you may be able to win them over. If the clown catches you again one of 2 things will surely happen. He'll call the cops, the cops will prove him wrong, that'll make him mad enough to force the issue by going up the ladder for some sort of detecting ban.........OR he'll tuck his tail between his legs, leave you alone and bully all of the other detectorists thereby making you the only one able to detect there. Good luck

therick
 
Well I just got a call from the police and they said there is no ordinance to probhibit metal detecting but there is an ordinance on destroying the grass or something like that. So in other words, you can detect but not dig! So what is the whole point??? Just sad to see what the US is comming to. Pay taxes work and shut up. You have no more rights in this country. So I guess I will be giving up detecting here.
 
[size=large]At the DIV hunt I saw guys dig such horrific, shoddy holes (in pastures) that they should have been refunded their money and ran off the field on the first morning~unbelievable. I was talking to one of the relatives of the land owner who complained that her friends horse tripped in a poorly repaired hole from a relic hunter and was injured when she fell from her horse after a a paid relic hunt. She was not impressed with relic hunters to say the least.

As far as your park; get a written statement from police that there is no law that says you can't (responsible) metal detect in the park and that great care will be taken to the leave the grounds in good condition. Remember someone is being paid by the city or town to take care of those grounds, and some people take that personally and find it disturbing to see someone "digging" in their park. They in turn will complain to the park supervisors, hence the supervisor coming over to you while you're digging in the park.

I would suggest you find private land to detect on, you'll find more worthwhile coins and artifacts anyway. If you like coins, get permission and search old houses; find out where taverns or old farmhouses used to be in fields, get permission, and search those. Believe me, no park supervisor is going to come up to you while you are searching on private property and harass you. Find old churches, swimming holes or lake beaches You've bought a $ 500.00 metal detector, now get out of the heavily hunted clad and pull tab infested park and go find something really neat on privet land. [/size]
 
Go talk to your ity councilman or county comissioner, get a written note from him or her and go back to it. Those "zero tolerance" rules are for idiots. The man should do his job instead of being a horses arse.

Julien
 
Bluster, the words of an idiot!!

JB
 
Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska said:
[size=large] "digging" in their park [/size]
Click to expand...

See that is just the problem. It is not "their" park and people like this should actually be repremended by the supervisor. My money is also paying for the job that they have and on the park that they work on!
 
You know that in the heat of summer if you are not really careful you will leave brown spot is the grass, even a three sided hole will leave a brown circle. In your case you might consider cutting a slit in the grass and try to pop the target with a screwdriver. You could make a very short video of how you retreive a target and leave the area looking... and make it a video of you digging a live .38 or something else that will let them know that besides finding a quarter, you are performing a service. You might also go first to the police detectives, tell them the equipment you have and that you know how to quickly tell a pulltab from a bottle cap from a sheel casing... and get a letter of recommendation from the most important local person you know. Then go the the councilman or mayor or whoever is the parks and rec persons boss.
Aso let them knw that you will fix any daage you find that others leave.ake a picture of all the surface trash you pick up. Tell them you are willing to pay a 50 dollar liscense fee if you think that wil help.. t least offer it as another option to banning detecting. Offer to teach free classes to anyone who wants a permit to detect, perhaps they will like that. The permits could really cost some thing minimal like ten bucks... you could make something up on your computer, make copies, and take them with you. The main thing is that they see you and what you do as something positive... that you are willing to offer another solution besides just banning the hobby. Show them the benefits and that you are willing to take the responsibility to do the work, so they wont see it as just one more thing they have to do. I think you can make it work and possibly get yourself into many more good sites if you do it right. Confidence, an assumption that what you are offering is a GREAT benefit for the community will help a lot, IMO.
Don't give up but don't make it a fight either... they have more poer than you do and will win. Try to make yourself part of the team. A letter from someone rich or well respected will realy help you to get them to listen to your idea and not dismiss you out of hand as just a bother.

Good luck!

Julien
 
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