[Az-Geocaching] Re: Cops and suspicion
Brian Casteel
listserv@azgeocaching.com
Tue, 28 Oct 2003 09:33:30 -0700
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You know, the inevitable thing in a junkies world is that they would =
eventually trade the GPS for drugs. Oh, the irony.
Brian
Team A.I.
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Bill=20
To: listserv@azgeocaching.com=20
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 9:27 AM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Re: Cops and suspicion
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=3DArial size=3D2>You know, the inevitable thing in a =
junkies world=20
is that they would eventually trade the GPS for drugs. Oh, the=20
irony.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Brian</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Team A.I.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dbill@freeholder.com =
href=3D"mailto:bill@freeholder.com">Bill</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dlistserv@azgeocaching.com=20
=
href=3D"mailto:listserv@azgeocaching.com">listserv@azgeocaching.com</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, October 28, 2003 =
9:27=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Az-Geocaching] Re: =
Cops and=20
suspicion</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" size=3D2>Anyone who participates =
in=20
Geocaching thinking that their activities will not arouse suspicion is =
deluding themself. For many years, the only people who put =
little tins=20
under a park bench with a magnet were spies. They used them to =
pass=20
messages. This is know as a "dead drop." I'm sure they are =
still=20
using 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=20
used by drug dealers and their customers to exchange drugs and money, =
and=20
these people often use a GPS to further their criminal activity. =
If you=20
are a buyer, you get money to a drug dealer and then someone else =
calls=20
you to give you the GPS location where you can go and retrieve your=20
goods. This makes it harder for law enforcement to get the chain =
of=20
evidence they need to make the charges stick. In court, it is =
easy for=20
the dealer to say you were just paying back money you had borrowed and =
he has=20
no idea who called you about the drugs. The person who took the =
money,=20
the person who placed the drugs, and the person who called with the =
location=20
are all different people, and it is not easy to prove the =
connection. It=20
isn't even easy to catch the person who places the drugs since =
locations are=20
not usually used more than 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=20
police officer who observes you retrieving something under a park =
bench=20
or looking for a hidden box in the woods may well suspect that you are =
a spy=20
or a druggie. The fact is, you are acting like one. His =
suspicion=20
is 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=20
a 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=20
unfortunate, but our sport provides an excellent cover for those =
engaged in=20
these illegal activities, and it is naive to expect cops to ignore=20
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></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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