Are cops OK with bottle diggers in your area?

[Bottleman]

This is a question that I have been meaning to ask for a while but never got around to making a post about it. I guess it all depends on where you are digging and who the cop is but around here they are pretty cool about it. The real problem is curious neighbors and crazy land owners. Back when I first started digging, I was digging a privy with an experienced digger who to say the least will dig just about anywhere. We had located two privy’s on an old map that were close to downtown next to railroad tracks. They ended up being located in a gravel parking lot next to a bunch of homes where people park their cars. Looking back now we shouldn’t have dug them but we probed them out and started digging without permission. At about eight feet down a crazy neighbor came out and told us to fill it in AND he was calling the cops immediately. So we ignored him and kept digging. Shortly after that the cops came and were really cool about it. They said to find a couple orange cones to put next to the hole because it was right next to a road. I have dealt with other cops in the past digging and so far they have all thought it was pretty neat and didn’t care that we were digging. It was not a smart move digging without permission and I wouldn’t do it again but back then it seemed alight at the time. Does anyone else have any stories to tell?

~~Tom

 

[Brains]

the cops where i live are crazy!!! you cant skateboard in the road, you cant be seen with a skate board on friday, you cant go on the rail road (i found that out the hard way[]) and if you got caught diggin they would probley plant a knife on ya and throw you in jail[] I dont like them (officer crumbs, that means you!) Corse i havent dug ANYTHING yet but with the way they act about trespassing i dont think i will be diggin for a long time!

 

[subsoil]

I've had three encounters with local police while digging, once at night, and each time was the same: It was never an issue for them after I explained my passion for the hobby. Obviously cooperate, explain clearly who you are and what you are doing, show ID and registration. The officer who stopped by at a night dig was clueless to bottles but a very decent officer, he drove away a little more educated about bottles and NH history

 

[Mike O]

I have run into cops 2 times at a now "Historic" site currently being talked about on another thread on this forum! Buth times they were truly interested in what we were doing and liked to see what we had found. The 1st time there wer 4 cops and one was a supervisor. The next time there were 2 partners. They all said we think your crazy but have at it and have fun!

 

[frank]

The cops in my area dont really care about digging . I had someone call the cops on me and when they arrived they asked what was doing .I told them i was digging for bottle and the cop asked if found anything good .I said no ten seconds later they were leaving. I could hear the cop say to his partner why are wasting time on stupid call and the dispatch calling them for robbery in progress!! ps digging fun !!![]

 

[Brains]

you know whats odd is the rail road crews are supposed to be the ones telling me to get lost but they just snile and wave, i suppose cops must think they are "the $h!t"[] so they tell me to get lost.[] Some tree farmer went off on me once. I figure he can if he wants, it must suck having a tree as your boss[]

 

[lexdigger]

The cops around here are pretty cool. They will get curious every now and then and stop to ask what you're doing. As long as you have permission, there isn't really anything they can say or do. I have been pulled over before for riding around and around in "the hood" looking for demolished houses. I always just tell them straight up what I'm doing and tell them to look in the back at my tools and dirty bottles. I actually kind of like seeing cops when I'm digging since most of the places I can get permission at are in the ghetto. Just about every time I dig I'm approached by curious children, the town drunk, a crackhead, or some other colorfull individual. I'm more worried about being mugged or robbed than harrassed by the police. Chris

 

[zanes_antiques]

It's ironic this thread was started right now. I was asked by a fellow digger to see if I could get permission to dig city lots in a nearby town because my cousin is mayor there. He told me that before I came digging with him they wouldn't dare touch a city lot. I thought, great that means nobody else has dug them either. Since getting permission not a single officer has stopped once to see what we were doing. I just hope I don't get my cousin in any kind of trouble. I told him I'd donate some of my finds to the local historical society and he guesses I'll get even more places to dig because of it. The trick is if you don't have Mayoral Permission keep a box of doughnuts and a thermos of coffee with you just in case. Kinda like keeping some dog bones in the car in case you meet a mean dog.

 

[bttlmark]

I have never been run -off by the cops.They always take interest. Even after the city archeologist stole from me and I went back to the site because I did my homework and knew he was stealing...the same cop that was there,,saw us digging and shook his head...Put them in your car so HE doesn't take them,he said.
It is all very sad. When I was younger we use to skate all over,now,,,no skating or bicycling signs everywhere...so the kids sit at home and get fat playing video games,,or are doing drugs or being vandals.

 

[bikegoon]

I was in Law Enforcement and armed security for some time.
In Ohio, The worst that can happen to me is "you have to leave"
If I am digging without permission I always make sure that:
1. Property is abandoned
2. Property is not posted, anywhere, even if the sign is laying face down on the ground broken in half, do not dig it! Often time posted properties are on file due to past problems/issues, and trust me you will get a popo to visit you if he sees you.
3.Be smart, if you act like you are doing something wrong, people will pick up on that and call you out as suspicious, again, another visit from a popo.
4. Sometimes neighbors can be helpful! often they are the ones that are "babysitting" said property, use words like, well sir. if it is no trouble I may look around for some old bottles, sound good? Build some rapport with him.

And again, If the property is posted and you dig, even though you may not be able to see the posting, you may be and probably are, breaking the law. and you may be liable for damages and "theft" of said bottles!

If it is not posted, you get warned, that is all they can do.

Hope this helps!