Stopped by the Police While Metal Detecting in Connersville

[modelflyer2003]

Got off work and was on my knees metal detecting in Connersville, Indiana at a side street curb strip digging a real nice tone and expecting a dime to come to me very very shortly, when I was approached by 4 law enforcement officials (two Connersville City police officers and two Fayette County deputies). I was wearing an old pair of dirty jeans, a teeshirt, and a dirty ball hat.


Cop 1: Are you OK?


Me: Yes. Fine. Thank you.


Cop 1: We got a call and someone said you might be having some trouble, but I can see you're just metal detecting.


Me: No trouble.


Cop 1: Find anything?


Me: No.


Cop 1: OK.
[Indicates towards and OBVIOUSLY vacant home 40 feet away]
Do you live here?


Me: No.


Cop 1: I don’t think the owner would want you digging up his yard.


Me: As I understand it, the owner of the property owns to the sidewalk. The City owns the strip between the sidewalk and the street.


[Turns to fellow police officer.]
Cop 1: Is that true?


Cop 2: The landowner would own the land up to the sidewalk and the city owns the easement. The owner of the property is responsible for the upkeep of the curb strip. So yes, he’s correct…but I’m not sure the City wants him digging here.
[Metal detecting on the curb strip is a perfectly legal activity]


Cop 1: Where do you live?


Me: Richmond [Indiana, Town 35 minutes away]


Cop 1: Then what brings you to Connersville?


[Still on my knees]


Me: I’m a Nurse Practitioner and I practice medicine here in Connersville. I just got off work.


Cop 1:Well…I didn’t expect that.


Me: If you don’t want me to metal detect here I can leave.


Cop 1: OK.


I filled my hole in and put my gear in the back of my SUV. As I got to my door I saw a couple of people standing on their porch with their hands on their hips at the house across the street looking at me. It was obvious that they are the ones that called. I looked at them and gave them a big wave like I knew them, so that the cops and the couple could see that I knew they called. I got in my SUV and drove away. I wasn’t finding much anyway. It was planning to go home after that hole anyway. I just wanted to leave on a high note. That didn’t happen.


As I drove home, a million things I could have said entered my mind. In the end it was a success for me, because I didn’t get Jack Boot Thug’ed (not a impossibility by any stretch). He never asked me for my ID, didn’t run my license plate, ask me if I had any weapons on me, pat me down, or arrested on some bogus charge that I would have to explain to the Board.


Things that entered my mind:

1. “Well if the person thought I was having a problem, why didn’t he/she come over to see if I was in need of help?”
2. “So, I’m not breaking the law if the city owns this and not the land owner?”
3. “Well what did you expect I did for a living? Do you mean I don’t look like an educated man?”
4. “I can be in Connersville if I want to be.”
5. “It takes four of you to see if I am alright? Well I’m ok, so you can probably call off the ambulance.”

I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them. I’m not anti-cop, I just don’t trust them, because I used to be a police officer. We both treated each other with respect, but I know when he got the radio call, the encounter didn’t end like he thought it would, and I don’t mean that I was having some medical issue.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

1. “Well what did you expect I did for a living? Do you mean I don’t look like an educated man?”

Metal detecting? Retired, would be my first guess. I'd ask if your caretaker knew you were out. You gave a clothing description, but left out footwear. Please please please let it be black socks and sandals. Please?

 

[Spear Dane]

Wow they must have been bored. Should have told them you were feeling peckish and asked for directions to the nearest Duncan Donuts.

 

[modelflyer2003]

LOL. I'm 45 years old. My daughter would say I'm not above the black socks and tennis shoes, but I would beg to differ. It is fun. This summer I found an 1865 2 cent coin in the city park.

 

[Kutnupe14]

It appears you were in a residential neighborhood. If I lived there, I wouldnt shine too kindly on a stranger in dirty jeans digging holes on an adjacent property. That's just the way of the world.

 

[mbills2223]

Posting here because Connersville

 

[jsharmon7]

I'm guessing the officer asked if you were okay because he got a call about a "suspicious person" and didn't really know how else to approach you since you were obviously metal detecting. Unfortunately a lot of officers feel like they have to approach you regardless or else citizens will complain that "the police didn't do anything."

 

[modelflyer2003]

It appears you were in a residential neighborhood. If I lived there, I wouldnt shine too kindly on a stranger in dirty jeans digging holes on an adjacent property. That's just the way of the world.

I understand but anyone that metal detects worth his salt cuts a plug, fills the dirt back in and leaves no trace of his presence. It is a residential neighborhood (rundown, but beside the point), but not illegal. Some folks don't like others open carrying, but that doesn't make it illegal. They get their panties in a bunch and call the police on them too.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I'm guessing the officer asked if you were okay because he got a call about a "suspicious person" and didn't really know how else to approach you since you were obviously metal detecting. Unfortunately a lot of officers feel like they have to approach you regardless or else citizens will complain that "the police didn't do anything."

Well, in this case I think you can argue that a crime was being committed if he was digging. If they had wanted to press it, I think a criminal mischief charge could be made. I'm not sure if he was literally digging or just really enjoying (I know, I know, I'm old and uncool, but men of a certain age still say things like "I dig this song" so it's possible). Let's assume literal digging:

(a) A person who:
(1) recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally damages or defaces property of another person without the other person's consent;

I thin if someone were digging in any of our yards, we'd consider it damaged and/or defaced even if they filled the holes back in. Let's ask Clint what he thinks about people digging up his yard:

Wow, Clint likes his grass. But you get the idea.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

So why did you "used to be a police officer"?

 

[modelflyer2003]

Well, in this case I think you can argue that a crime was being committed if he was digging. If they had wanted to press it, I think a criminal mischief charge could be made. I'm not sure if he was literally digging or just really enjoying (I know, I know, I'm old and uncool, but men of a certain age still say things like "I dig this song" so it's possible). Let's assume literal digging:

Well that would be fine if it was the caller's lawn, but it wasn't. Yes I was digging with a handheld bulb digger. Some argue that open carriers are inducing panic and should be charged with disorderly conduct while they perform a legal act. And in case you were wondering, I wouldn't dig on Clint's lawn.


I thin if someone were digging in any of our yards, we'd consider it damaged and/or defaced even if they filled the holes back in. Let's ask Clint what he thinks about people digging up his yard:

Wow, Clint likes his grass. But you get the idea.

That would be fine if I were digging in their lawn, but I wasn't. I was digging, I was using a handheld bulb digger. Some contend that open carriers should be charged with disorderly conduct or inducing panic. And for the record, I would never dig in Clint's yard.

 

[modelflyer2003]

So why did you "used to be a police officer"?

I left that career field. It was all I wanted to do since I was 12 years old, but after four years I was disillusioned. Moved on and found my true calling. Can't blame a guy for that.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

That would be fine if I were digging in their lawn, but I wasn't. I was digging, I was using a handheld bulb digger. Some contend that open carriers should be charged with disorderly conduct or inducing panic. And for the record, I would never dig in Clint's yard.

Criminal Mischief can be against city property as well as private property. I'm not sure what OC has to do with it.

 

[drillsgt]

I left that career field. It was all I wanted to do since I was 12 years old, but after four years I was disillusioned. Moved on and found my true calling. Can't blame a guy for that.

Apparently some can?

 

[modelflyer2003]

Criminal Mischief can be against city property as well as private property. I'm not sure what OC has to do with it.

I mean to say that people will call the police on someone for doing something legal if they do not like what they are doing. That's the connection I was making. I see your point, disagree, but respect your view.

 

[PapaScout]

Fair warning. If I don't know you, please don't hang out in front of my house either.

 

[modelflyer2003]

Criminal Mischief can be against city property as well as private property. I'm not sure what OC has to do with it.

I am saying that people will call the police if they don't like what someone is doing even if it is not illegal. I disagree that it was criminal mischief, but respect your opinion.

 

[KG1]

Call before you dig. You could've dug up a gas line and blew the whole neighborhood up for cripes sake!

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I left that career field. It was all I wanted to do since I was 12 years old, but after four years I was disillusioned. Moved on and found my true calling. Can't blame a guy for that.

Sure can't.

 

[Tanfodude]

Well, we had a crime watch meeting here in Indy and we were encouraged to make the call if any of us see someone who doesn't belong in the neighborhood doing something that's unusual. You could be metal detecting in our neighborhood and doing nothing illegal, in my eyes, you could be scouting for something/surveying the area while pretending to metal detect. So, if I see someone I don't recognize, I'll still make that call.

So it's understandable that those people called if you were unfamiliar to them.