I was one of the three people who were present at the time the Mesa PD helicopter was 'called out'. First, they were on routine patrol, and didn't even so much as go into a brief orbit over the area. They made a casual flyover on their way to a call NE of our location. However, I can understand the concern of the security guard. While out there, I thought it humorous that the cache was on the back of a No Trespassing sign, which was to indicate that the area BEHIND the fence was off-limits. Until I read it on the listserv, I had no idea a water treatment plant was behind it (wasn't really focusing on the area behind the fenceline). We stood around and chatted for a few (the other cachers), and got back into our vehicles and drove out of the field. Apparently, Tsegi Mike (& Desert Viking?) were walking from the parking lot as we all left, and called it a day.

I'm guessing the air unit thought we were pretty harmless, as no other ground units showed up to question us regarding our intentions. But the bottom line is that we all should be conscious of the area(s) in which we place a cache. If an area is private property and a responsible party tells you that the cache needs to be removed, it is up to us to make that happen.

There is one cache in particular that popped up this past week that I feel will become an issue once again and may lead to another black eye for geocachers. After being told that the cache was unwanted in the area, I e-mailed the cache owner. The cache was quickly archived, but re-created a few days later on the same property, just 500' or so away. The difference is, the cache container is in a location that the security guards who raised a stink about the first location could no longer see. While they are unable to see it, the people who drive into the property surely do, and I'm sure more than a few of them will notify the security guards. I visited the location, spent a few minutes there and didn't feel right about being there, and don't plan on going back to log a find...unless the security staff has granted permission.