What do LEO's think of \"Urban Exploring\"

I 26

For those who are not familiar with urban exploring, it is the venturing onto abandoned or unused property, such as factories, with the sole purpose of exploring and discovering, and NOT to vandalise or smoke it up. A couple friends of mine are active in this sport, and I have a strong interest in following, but fear the consequences upon when discovered by a Law Enforcement Officer. Just wondering the opinions of LEO's on this board. What would you do, or what have you done, when discovering someone has trespassed with the desire to explore, and not the cause disturbance.

nmfire10

It's trespassing so I doubt anyone is going to allow it.

NPS Ranger

If they \"fear the consequences when discovered by a Law Enforcement Officer\" then they obviously know it's wrong. They are creating a liability for the property owner, or in some cases the city, who will undoubtedly be sued by the trespasser when he falls through a hole in the floor or slips down a ladder and gets injured. They are causing liability to someone else when they have no right to be there or to do so. At a minimum they will be issued a citation and made to appear in court, if it's a repeated offense they deserve to get arrested. If they take any souvenirs they can be charged with burglary.

If you had a cabin in the woods, would you want a group of people to break into it and \"explore\" just because it was unoccupied? Tell your friends to get a life.

Dana

[quote:bc8f2ad228=\"I 26\"]....A couple friends of mine are active in this sport....

Posted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 08:33 Post subject: Re: What do LEO's think of \"Urban Exploring\"

[quote:f90963e1fb=\"Dana\"] Trespasser thumping IS a sport.

Posted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 09:24 Post subject:

It is illegal. If I were you, I would tell your friends to find another \"sport\" or hobby. NPS Ranger is right on the money about liability. If I caught them, trust and believe they would be getting paperwork and if any items are found then its straight to the county jail. Again, dont do it.

Posted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 11:11 Post subject: well

I \"explore\" and photograph many urban relics, and I have been doing so for years.. long before anyone decided to make it a pseudo-sport. I'm not very bold though, taking mostly exterior pics from public property. When I do venture onto private property its never fenced, posted or closed off and I don't generally go inside any buildings. I am well aware of the sort of environmental and human dangers that can linger in abandonments. There is a level of risk to photographing or exploring anything that's not directly intended for public access. I know some people who take risks that I have deemed unacceptable, such as entering posted or locked buildings. I know you could get arrested doing this, although you wouldn't believe how rare it is for this to happen. Many people relay stories of being stopped by police, searched, having their name run through leads/ncic and told to leave. I have also heard of a few people getting cited for tresspassing. One thing that everyone who gets arrested has in common is that they either broke something or took something. The big principle of \"Urban Exploration\" is to NEVER break or take anything. I know of 2 people who were charged with burglary, but they had what I consider burglars tools on them, it was 2 AM and the site they were in was a foolish choice for a number of reasons. I think the location, time, what you are doing, how you got in and who finds you has a lot to do with what happens. This sort of a \"sport\" is a risk... a risk of injury and a risk of being held accountable legally. Your friends need to be aware of and know the risks, then make a decision as adults whether its worth it. You can see plenty of cool sites and get lots of great shots with out exposing yourself to very much risk at all. If your friends are worried about getting arrested, they a probably doing something they shouldn't be. John

Posted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 11:14 Post subject:

We should go easy on this guy. I and my friends would do this all the time! Snooping around, going in places we shouldn't, etc. Oh, wait, that was when we were 10!

Posted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 15:12 Post subject: Re: well

[quote:42d4ad6e1e=\"John Marcson\"] One thing that everyone who gets arrested has in common is that they either broke something or took something.

Posted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 15:45 Post subject: Re: well

[quote:40e8c560a5=\"I 26\"][quote:40e8c560a5=\"John Marcson\"] One thing that everyone who gets arrested has in common is that they either broke something or took something.

Posted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 16:13 Post subject:

I would take no chances and open fire until the situation was mitigated. Wait, thats why they don't give me a gun at work. Hmm.

Posted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 17:02 Post subject: Re: well

[quote:b302e6e5c7=\"I 26\"][quote:b302e6e5c7=\"John Marcson\"] One thing that everyone who gets arrested has in common is that they either broke something or took something.

Posted: Wed 25-Jan-2006 17:05 Post subject: Re: well

[quote:f7f114637a=\"PolarBear\"][quote:f7f114637a=\"I 26\"][quote:f7f114637a=\"John Marcson\"] One thing that everyone who gets arrested has in common is that they either broke something or took something.

Posted: Thu 26-Jan-2006 00:06 Post subject:

Has anyone considered the use of the newfound \"Urban Camouflaging\" to cover their tracks during \"Urban Exploration\"?

Posted: Thu 26-Jan-2006 13:29 Post subject: Re:

[quote:959fbed16d=\"Ben Engle\"] Too bad the 'force continuum' doesn't just read \"Shoot first, ask questions later.\" That would be a heck of alot more fun.

Posted: Fri 27-Jan-2006 00:42 Post subject:

A couple of buddys and myself used to explore abandoned houses when we were in our teens. One of the guys was an avid old cork top bottle collector and we would check out old houseplaces that appeared to be at least 40 or 50 years old and older, and especially look for old dumps in the backyards where people would stash their trash in the old days. Most of the time, the houses were long gone but sometimes they were still standing. I know, boring story and it doesn't come close to the thrill of \"urban exploring\" of abandoned factories, schools, etc. But wait, it gets better.... One of the fellows, when driving around by himself, checked out an old rural house that was still standing and after poking around a bit, left without incident. Two days later, there was a big story on the local TV stations and newspapers about an incident involving some transient drifter who had apparently been passing through and decided to hole up in...you guessed it, the old house. Some poor soul happen to have the misfortune of having a flat tire right in front of the place, and was knocked out, tied up, and robbed by the guy. Luckily, he managed to eventually crawl out to the road where a passerby saw him, and called the authorities. The suspect was caught later on that week in another state driving the guy's truck. My buddy still talks about the cold shivers down his spine just thinking the guy might have been there lurking and watching him, and that's been years ago. Something to consider when \"exploring\", especially in urban areas, where somebody sinister may be watching.

Posted: Thu 26-Jan-2006 01:24 Post subject: Re:

[quote:eb1a035727=\"Skywarn_Stalemate\"]Has anyone considered the use of the newfound \"Urban Camouflaging\" to cover their tracks during \"Urban Exploration\"?

Posted: Thu 26-Jan-2006 05:02 Post subject: Re:

[quote:0659ae8a73=\"RFJammed\"]I would take no chances and open fire until the situation was mitigated. Wait, thats why they don't give me a gun at work. Hmm.

Posted: Fri 27-Jan-2006 09:51 Post subject:

John pretty much sums up my philosophy...if you are polite, and apologetic, you'll probably get a warning. Cop an attitude, or lie about it, and you'll get paper for sure (press hard, 5 copies). My policy is that if you bust a law, admit you did it, act remorseful, and apologize, I let you go. Stopped a guy on a Rice Rocket I got on radar once at 96..spilled coffee all over me trying to get my car into gear..he saw the lights come on and just stopped. Now, he could have run, and no way I could have caught him, but he did the right thing. He got a warning (nice bike that Vmax, have one meeself!) Now, speaking of urban exploring, I'm into tunnels and bunkers. In my area we have several lift spans, highway tunnels, and 4 old WWII coastal artillery forts. Been crawling through a bunch of them. The tunnels I had to have an escort, but no problem getting that. Been to DC and got a really nice 'behind the scenes' tour of the Pentagon, Union Station, and the Metro (actually an under the scenes tour). Sometimes it IS better to get permission than to give an apology (apologies to RADM Grace Hooper, USN, ret)

Posted: Fri 27-Jan-2006 10:54 Post subject: Re:

[quote:06baf2cef1=\"Phillyrube\"]Now, he could have run, and no way I could have caught him, but he did the right thing.

Posted: Sat 28-Jan-2006 01:55 Post subject:

I don't know how it works for other jurisdictions, but here you can only be arrested for \"Trespass after warning\" and not just trespass. If I find you on an abandoned property not in our Tresspass Program than you get warned and sent on your way. Naturally if you've broken into a structure that's different, but if it's known to already be \"open\" it's only trespass and not burglary, and if you haven't been legally warned, you walk away. However if it's part of the trespass program and has one of our signs on it, you can go right on the spot since the sign IS your warning and we have an affadavit on file from the property owner. We don't have many vacant properties here due to property values and the few that we DO have are usually very well boarded up. The few that are not are usually frequented by druggies and such, so I'd be more concerned for safety and not legal consequences if I were to go urban exploring. NEVER do that without pepper spray or some other \"walk away\" weapon. Motorcycle > Crown Vic Motorola > Motorcycle Pursuit policy > Motorola!

Posted: Sat 28-Jan-2006 02:22 Post subject:

Wasn't a movie made a couple of years ago that involved a couple of guys who were exploring abandoned buildings or something to that effect and ran into some type of street gang and they had to play a cat and mouse survival game with them that eventually turned out pretty violent? I believe Bill Paxton, who was also in the Helen Hunt \"Twister\" movie, was one of the actors in the other movie. Anybody see it or can anyone verify this?

Posted: Sat 28-Jan-2006 02:36 Post subject:

Judgment Night comes to mind.

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