[Az-Geocaching] Re: Cops and suspicion
Bill
listserv@azgeocaching.com
Tue, 28 Oct 2003 09:27:17 -0700
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Anyone who participates in Geocaching thinking that their activities =
will not arouse suspicion is deluding themself. For many years, the =
only people who put little tins under a park bench with a magnet were =
spies. They used them to pass messages. This is know as a "dead drop." =
I'm sure they are still using them.
In addition, hidden "caches" are used by drug dealers and their =
customers to exchange drugs and money, and these people often use a GPS =
to further their criminal activity. If you are a buyer, you get money =
to a drug dealer and then someone else calls you to give you the GPS =
location where you can go and retrieve your goods. This makes it harder =
for law enforcement to get the chain of evidence they need to make the =
charges stick. In court, it is easy for the dealer to say you were just =
paying back money you had borrowed and he has no idea who called you =
about the drugs. The person who took the money, the person who placed =
the drugs, and the person who called with the location are all different =
people, and it is not easy to prove the connection. It isn't even easy =
to catch the person who places the drugs since locations are not usually =
used more than once.
Because of these activities, a police officer who observes you =
retrieving something under a park bench or looking for a hidden box in =
the woods may well suspect that you are a spy or a druggie. The fact =
is, you are acting like one. His suspicion is justified.
I agree that the officer should be polite and not make threats like =
those reported in the recent incident, and if a cop gets out of line, =
report them. They take these reports seriously. However, to say that =
law enforcement should just ignore you when you act like a druggie or =
spy is certainly not the answer, either. Right now, many don't know =
about geocaching, but even when they do, it won't make a difference. If =
I was a druggie out looking for my goods and I was approached by a cop, =
I would tell him I was geocaching. It is unfortunate, but our sport =
provides an excellent cover for those engaged in these illegal =
activities, and it is naive to expect cops to ignore us.
Bill in Willcox
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2>Anyone who participates =
in Geocaching=20
thinking that their activities will not arouse suspicion is deluding=20
themself. For many years, the only people who put little tins =
under a park=20
bench with a magnet were spies. They used them to pass =
messages. =20
This is know as a "dead drop." I'm sure they are still using=20
them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2>In addition, hidden =
"caches" are used=20
by drug dealers and their customers to exchange drugs and money, and =
these=20
people often use a GPS to further their criminal activity. If you =
are a=20
buyer, you get money to a drug dealer and then someone else calls =
you to=20
give you the GPS location where you can go and retrieve your =
goods. This=20
makes it harder for law enforcement to get the chain of evidence they =
need to=20
make the charges stick. In court, it is easy for the dealer to say =
you=20
were just paying back money you had borrowed and he has no idea who =
called you=20
about the drugs. The person who took the money, the person who =
placed the=20
drugs, and the person who called with the location are all different =
people, and=20
it is not easy to prove the connection. It isn't even easy to =
catch the=20
person who places the drugs since locations are not usually used more =
than=20
once.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2>Because of these =
activities, a police=20
officer who observes you retrieving something under a park bench or =
looking=20
for a hidden box in the woods may well suspect that you are a spy or a=20
druggie. The fact is, you are acting like one. His suspicion =
is=20
justified.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2>I agree that the officer =
should be=20
polite and not make threats like those reported in the recent incident, =
and if a=20
cop gets out of line, report them. They take these reports=20
seriously. However, to say that law enforcement should just ignore =
you=20
when you act like a druggie or spy is certainly not the answer, =
either. =20
Right now, many don't know about geocaching, but even when they do, it =
won't=20
make a difference. If I was a druggie out looking for my goods and =
I was=20
approached by a cop, I would tell him I was geocaching. It is =
unfortunate,=20
but our sport provides an excellent cover for those engaged in these =
illegal=20
activities, and it is naive to expect cops to ignore us.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2>Bill in=20
Willcox</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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