Geocaching and Police

August 15, 2011

How about it guys? Have you ever been approached by police (or some other form of law enforcement) while geocaching? Share your stories!

An ex-girlfriend of mine rode our motorcycles all over when we hit up a local cache which was hidden somewhere within a guard rail that created the "dead end". Her and I looked for nearly an hour for this bugger when a cop rolled up in his cruiser. He got out and walked up to us.

cop: "everything ok?"

us: "yeah.... uh.. we are geocaching..."

cop: "oh yeah? You guys need some help?"

the cop looked with us for about 15 mins then wished us luck and took off..

My brother had a similar encounter, cop asked, he told the cop he was geocaching and the cop was just like "oh.. okay, well good luck" haha. it seems most local law enforcement are aware of the game... afterall, you do probably look suspicious wandering around pokin your head in everywhere looking for stuff in a "stealthy" manner..

August 15, 2011

We had just found the cache after looking for probably 20 minutes or so, and as we're pulling out the policeman pulls in. Of course, he follows us and puts on his light. It was after dark, and a neighbor had seen our tiny flashlights moving around and called in the 'suspicious activity'. We explained what we were doing, he took our driver's licenses, and told us to sit tight for a bit. When he finally came back with our IDs, he said we "should have some sort of identification for that activity." We went home and, using Geocacher U, made some ID cards that night, so that we would be ready the next time. LOL!!!

10.1k · August 15, 2011

SEveral cachers mentioned in log 'police cars going by.' WE got the plain clothes cops wanting to know why we were manhandlng the mortar. They helped us look for a few minutes. Something stange going on in that park! Cache was archived.

August 15, 2011

I've had two run-ins with police while geocaching. I'm twenty, and I usually geocache with a group of friends around my age. A bunch of teenagers/young adults snooping about is bound to look suspicious to any police officer, so I'm not really surprised that we've gotten stopped. Each time I just explained what geocaching is, maybe showed then the cache and logbook if we found it, and they let us be.

There was one occasion, however, where a mall cop came back after we left and took the cache. It was a P&G under a lamp skirt, and thankfully the CO replaced it within a few days. Made sure to note in my log that the muggle was probably the officer we had talked to. Oh well, what can you do.

6.7k · August 15, 2011

Didn't find it January 22, 2006 by gof1 (552 found)

Sooo...There we sat, bored, when up pops a brand new cache! We decided to give it a shot for the FTF. I got the email at 7:34 and we got in the car at 8:01. Stopped at Willy Farms for snacks and smokes so had to be about 8:20 or so when we got to the park. As I was searching for leg 1 a local resident came out with his dog. We talked pleasantly for a few minutes, "Hi, how are ya? Nice weather." that kind of thing. The guy takes his dog in the house and I get back to work. Next thing I know there is a patrol car pulling up. The young lady jumps out of the car and looks at me like I am some kinda nut, could be because I was laughing by the time she got out of the car. I was thinking "Hey, Cool, my first run in with the law while geocaching!" She asks me "Have you got a gun?! I said "UM,NO! I have a flashlight and a gps receiver." Then she asks "What are you doing?"Meanwhile the patrol cars just keep coming. By the time all was said and done we had 6 marked Buffalo cop cars on site, and six of Buffalo's finest all laughing. The worst they did was a quick pat down that could not have found a howitzer in my pocket if I had one, and ran my plates. They never even asked for any ID. I keep telling myself not to go on these night time FTF runs, but I never listen to me. Hey, it ain't like it was midnight or sum thing. I guess we will have to come back to this one as we decided not to take the officers up on the offer to help us look for an item we couldn't even describe to them.

Thanks for the fun.

GOF1 & Bacall

7.9k · August 15, 2011

I've had a few LEO encounters.

All were pleasant.

August 16, 2011

All adds to the experience of caching. The say you are not a cacher until you've been caught by the police!

There is another thread in The Hunt/The Unusual Forum that will provide you with some laughs.

August 16, 2011

Yes, we have been approached 3 times by my daughter's calculations...I lost count. She thought they were nice to stop and make sure we were OK. I thought they were concerned about our suspicious activities. We were driving in areas where most people have pick up trucks and I have a smaller SUV so we looked out of place. So, while we were in that particular part of the state, three different times a police officer drove up to us and asked us what we were doing. As we explained Geocaching all of them seemed interested except for the last one who seemed to think we had entered into some dangerous areas and should head on out. We did listen to his warning and head back to our base camp for the night.

We have also had 3 different park rangers ask us what we were doing and if we had lost something. We had fun telling them about geocaching.

10.2k · August 16, 2011

I was detained for 15-20 minutes by 6 cars from the Clark, New Jersey PD in 2004. That's probably all the cars they have, and the entire first shift. I was also called in for "suspicious behavior" on a rails to trails the next town over about 2 years ago, and they actually called my Town, and sent a squad car over to my house. I wasn't home, of course, I was out Geocaching. But Mrs. Yuck immediately figured out what was going on and explained Geocaching to the officer. I called the next town over's PD, and told them I wanted to file a counter complaint for being stalked and followed, but they never got back to me.

1.4k · August 16, 2011

I told my daughter we will probably be stopped at some point. I think it is part of the game. I have not been stopped by the cops but have had people ask what I was doing. I have not told anyone what I was doing and would probably only do so if I felt it was needed. The one lady was really rude and asked what I was looking for when I said I was looking for something. I felt like saying none of your bissness! but just said I would leave. No need in letting someone like that know about a geocache in the area. If they seemed cool I would probably tell them about it but have not got that vibe from anyone yet who was wanting to know what I was doing. I did get the cards sold on this site to give to someone if I felt they were cool.

Edited August 16, 2011 by WarNinjas

August 16, 2011

There's a whole 4 page thread on this subject here: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=221397

I haven't had any run ins as of yet, but a cop car did go by me as I was searching for a cache on the side of the road, he looked at me and just kept driving.

1.4k · August 16, 2011

I was looking for a nano cache on some railings that had maybe gone missing. The railings are on the edge of a park where there had been some trouble recently. It was starting to get dark, and lots of extra police came on shift. 4 police vehicles drove past, 2 of them slowed down to look at me and came around again for another look. Maybe they thought I would try to steal the railings!

6.7k · August 16, 2011

I was looking for a nano cache on some railings that had maybe gone missing. The railings are on the edge of a park where there had been some trouble recently. It was starting to get dark, and lots of extra police came on shift. 4 police vehicles drove past, 2 of them slowed down to look at me and came around again for another look. Maybe they thought I would try to steal the railings!

Don't laugh. Scrap metal prices are up.

1.4k · August 16, 2011

I was looking for a nano cache on some railings that had maybe gone missing. The railings are on the edge of a park where there had been some trouble recently. It was starting to get dark, and lots of extra police came on shift. 4 police vehicles drove past, 2 of them slowed down to look at me and came around again for another look. Maybe they thought I would try to steal the railings!

Don't laugh. Scrap metal prices are up.

No, I'm not laughing...I've just realised that with each one I was trying the bolts on the fence, trying to make my body language look clearly like someone looking for a bolt cache, as though there would be nothing else I could be doing other than geocaching. Oh dear. I hope I didn't waste their time by thinking they have to keep an eye on that fence now!

August 16, 2011

I was on a road trip. Outside the hotel was a paved path for joggers and cyclists that ran along a creek. This was one of those power trails where there was a cache every 528 feet, so I thought I'd go grab a few. Good thing I was wearing my geocaching.com tee shirt because while I was poking around in the bushes an officer on a bicycle entered the trail near where I was searching. He looked over his shoulder and saw me poking around and did a quick u-turn to check me out. When he slowed I stood up. He saw my shirt logo and my GPS, he smiled, picked up speed and 'moved along'. This officer obviously must have known something about this power trail. Now I am convinced though, to always wear my caching shirt when invading high muggle density areas. In my home turf though, I wear camo and just tell muggles that I'm looking for the skunk I just shot! :lol:

19k · August 16, 2011

I was looking for a nano cache on some railings that had maybe gone missing. The railings are on the edge of a park where there had been some trouble recently. It was starting to get dark, and lots of extra police came on shift. 4 police vehicles drove past, 2 of them slowed down to look at me and came around again for another look. Maybe they thought I would try to steal the railings!

Don't laugh. Scrap metal prices are up.

No, I'm not laughing...I've just realised that with each one I was trying the bolts on the fence, trying to make my body language look clearly like someone looking for a bolt cache, as though there would be nothing else I could be doing other than geocaching. Oh dear. I hope I didn't waste their time by thinking they have to keep an eye on that fence now!

That's probably the same spot that burglers go to fence their stolen goods.

2.7k · August 16, 2011

The best police encounter I've had was the time we were out in the woods about a kilometre or so from the road, at midnight, on a 10 foot step ladder, hanging reflective cats in the trees for a night cache here.

They approached us because one of the neighbours was worried about all the *really* bright flashlights off in the woods, and when they came up to us, and asked what we thought we were doing, we answered "setting up a geocache".

The response?

"Oh, that's what we thought you were doing, but we had to check". Apparently they had asked their dispatch about the big GEOCACHING.COM window cling on my car, which was at the trailhead.

We had a lovely chat about our GPS brand choice and then they went off to whatever they were doing before they got the call.

August 16, 2011

We were driving towards a cache in this wooded area along a dirt road when we came across a rather deep looking puddle of water. Rather than risk getting the car stuck in the mud, we decided to leave the car on the roadside and hike in the rest of the way, about 0.5 miles. We had gotten about half way there , when looking back, we saw a big old patrol car (funny how they always look so big when they're headed your way) lumbering down the road. He pulled up next to us and asked if that was our car back there. When we confirmed that it was and that we had been concerned about getting stuck , he wanted to know why we were walking ito the woods here. We explained that we were on our way to look for a geocache. "Dang!" he says slapping his steering wheel, "I just knew there was one back here but haven't had the time to look for it" He wished us luck and somehow managed to get his car turned around and leaving us to our search.

But the one time, we were a little worried we had driven to a little neighborhood on a cul-de-sac nestled near a deeply wooded area for a newly published cache. We had walked back along the trail to the cache and signed the log. When we got back to the car, there were 2 really big, angry looking guys waiting for us, arms crossed and frowning deeply, vigilante style. They demanded to know what we had dropped off in the woods. They were tired of people driving back here and dumping all their junk in the woods and were sure gonna put a stop to it. We nervously explained caching to them, even showing our GPS. Eventually, they relaxed and we warned them that wold be others following, but as long as noone dropped anything off they were ok with it. Whew..

August 16, 2011

I was looking for a cache in a graveyard when a cop came up to me and asked me what I was looking for. I said I was geocaching, he asked me what I meant. I explained the game to him and he just looked at me confused and said "Alright" and left. Then again, a teenager looking around in a graveyard does look a bit suspicious.

Another encounter I had was at Chingaucousy Park (in Brampton) and I pulled up in the parking lot, got out of my car, and there was a cop sitting in the parking lot as well. I walked over to the cache, made the find, signed the log and came back. The cop then put his window down and asked what I was doing, I told him and he was like "Oh, I've heard of that. Find anything cool?" and I told him what was in the container and he continued asking me questions about the game before continuing on his way.

August 16, 2011

We were driving towards a cache in this wooded area along a dirt road when we came across a rather deep looking puddle of water. Rather than risk getting the car stuck in the mud, we decided to leave the car on the roadside and hike in the rest of the way, about 0.5 miles. We had gotten about half way there , when looking back, we saw a big old patrol car (funny how they always look so big when they're headed your way) lumbering down the road. He pulled up next to us and asked if that was our car back there. When we confirmed that it was and that we had been concerned about getting stuck , he wanted to know why we were walking ito the woods here. We explained that we were on our way to look for a geocache. "Dang!" he says slapping his steering wheel, "I just knew there was one back here but haven't had the time to look for it" He wished us luck and somehow managed to get his car turned around and leaving us to our search.

But the one time, we were a little worried we had driven to a little neighborhood on a cul-de-sac nestled near a deeply wooded area for a newly published cache. We had walked back along the trail to the cache and signed the log. When we got back to the car, there were 2 really big, angry looking guys waiting for us, arms crossed and frowning deeply, vigilante style. They demanded to know what we had dropped off in the woods. They were tired of people driving back here and dumping all their junk in the woods and were sure gonna put a stop to it. We nervously explained caching to them, even showing our GPS. Eventually, they relaxed and we warned them that wold be others following, but as long as noone dropped anything off they were ok with it. Whew..

You should have just said to them, "TNLN."

2.6k · August 16, 2011

In 7-1/2 yrs I've had only 2 encounters with the Law...

1. I was caching in a park in a small enclave in town and this cop rolls up and asks what I'm doing. I tell him and he knows what I'm talking about and it's cool. Then we just chat for a while. Turns out we're both Marines, his neighbor is my boss, and he was just out looking for a lost dog and was wondering if I'd seen it.

2. Just last week I pulled up to a cache and a cop pulled in right behind me. I was a bit nervous at the suddenness of it, but it turns out I was close to a security zone - a big power distribution center - and they keep a close eye on it. I told him what I was doing and he knew what I was talking about and said it was cool. He was pretty sure I wasn't gonna blow anything up. So I went and got the cache, we waived at each other and thanked each other for our service and went our separate ways.

August 16, 2011

The only encounter I've had with police was at my own cache. I had one just under 2 miles from my house. One evening just after dusk I was driving past and decided I should just check it. I'd stopped my car and was searching in my door for the flashlight. When I looked up, the flashing lights were right next to my car! I rolled down the window and explained what I was doing. He asked for a full explanation of geocaching which I provided. Then I added that he was likely to see other cars here with people looking for the cache. He was fine with it. I didn't bother to check the cache that night. However I did kick myself for not getting out and showing him the cache for further clarification.

5.7k · August 16, 2011

Had a couple German Polizei stop and ask questions a couple times, but they had heard of geocaching and just wished me good luck.

After returning to the USA in the summer of 2009, I hadn't encountered police while caching until last week. I was going for a micro on top of a parking deck near a hospital. Didn't find it, so I left after about ten minutes. An officer (possibly security, but certainly looked like a police officer) approached me as I was leaving the parking garage, asked what I was up to, and then told me the cache wasn't there anymore. Apparently, hospital administration didn't like that there was a cache there -- turns out someone did a swan dive off the same area of the deck in a successful suicide bid. They'd pulled the cache out a couple months prior, but no one had logged anything other than a blank DNF log, so I had no idea. The officer idly mentioned arrest early in the discussion, but changed his tone to ask if I could simply pass the word not to come looking for it anymore. I promised to do so, he let me go, and I logged the needs archived as soon as I got home.

3.2k · August 16, 2011

How about it guys? Have you ever been approached by police (or some other form of law enforcement) while geocaching? Share your stories!

Yes, and have even started collecting the shoulder patches of officers we encounter. There are generally links to logs with the images.

With all but two exceptions they have been very positive, and even the two exceptions were unremarkable. One, the officer ibviously had a bad day and ripped into us for parking in a parking space (no I didn't mis-type tha) and the other was positive however we suspect it was an officer impersonator rather than an officer.

We have even had the officers help us look for the cache, one of them being a cacher themselves, another even shining his spot up into the tee to give us more light. One of the members of the group in the link, TheBaers, made up a brochure for anyone questioning us about what we're doing.

August 16, 2011

How about it guys? Have you ever been approached by police (or some other form of law enforcement) while geocaching? Share your stories!

Yes, and have even started collecting the shoulder patches of officers we encounter. There are generally links to logs with the images.

With all but two exceptions they have been very positive, and even the two exceptions were unremarkable. One, the officer ibviously had a bad day and ripped into us for parking in a parking space (no I didn't mis-type tha) and the other was positive however we suspect it was an officer impersonator rather than an officer.

We have even had the officers help us look for the cache, one of them being a cacher themselves, another even shining his spot up into the tee to give us more light. One of the members of the group in the link, TheBaers, made up a brochure for anyone questioning us about what we're doing.

very cool, I noticed on Geocasher-U there is a printable brochure. I think I am gonna print out 5 or so of them just to give to people (and cops) who are curious about what we are doing. who knows, might make a member outta 'em!

1k · August 16, 2011

I had a couple cop cars pull up to me while I was looking for a cache in some bushes behind a supermarket. DNFed that cache, then chatted with the cops for a while, explaining what I was doing. One cop followed me to the next cache and I found that one. He didn't log his find however. :laughing:

August 17, 2011

No I never. But I have dreamed about it once. :grin:

August 17, 2011

I have only been caching for less than two months and have had two encounters. Once was at a cache where you park at a barred gate and walk into a defunct tech-school parking lot for a LPC. As we were returning to the car, a LEO was checking out our car. I had a small backpack (with SWAG and tweezers, pens, etc) and hiking boots so I told him it got too dark to walk in the rec area across the street (true, and we had also signed about 8 logs there earlier in the afternoon). We were semi truthful and looked the part, so no problem.

A few nights ago I grabbed a guard rail cache in a small town and the only cop on duty happened by. He stopped and rolled down his window and said something I didn't hear. I said "I'm all right" and waved him on but he got testy and said "WHAT are you doing?". I held up the tube I was ready to replace and we both said "geocaching" at the same time! He drove on.

August 17, 2011

As I am the head prosecutor in my county when one of the new rookie cops came upon me caching in a local park he said hi & asked what I was up to.... I told him I was taking pictures of the area where the confidential informant said he sold narcotics to him in preparation for the up coming grand jury that was investigating him.... After his face turned white & he sat there speechless for a few seconds I told him I was just joking & that I was out geocaching...

August 17, 2011

Before I got my GPS I did Letterboxing. So, I do have a Letterbox planted as well as some geocaches. I was checking on the Letterbox after dark cause it is in a buisier area of the community. The lady next door comes out and asks if I was okay. Since I live in the town and it`s just tiny and everybody knows everybody (300 people) I thought she would be okay with me being there. I grabbed my box and just left the area. I left in my car and drove elsewhere, came back in about 20 minutes to see the place swarmed with officers. I parked the car and got out. Obviously, I would be a good witness to whatever they were searching for. The officers basically describe myself lurking in the vacant lot 20 minutes ago. I tell them it was myself and they tell me no it wasn`t. I try to tell them over and over again that I was indeed lurking around in that vacant lot in the exact time period they claim and they don`t believe me. I just leave and go back to my car and watch them search for the person that they won`t ever find.

Geocaching and Police

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