In my city, parking tickets generate a very large revenue.  I have never 
seen an archaeological monitor during city construction because it is 
exempt.  That would cost the city money.

Archaeology COSTS money.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Ingleman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2012 8:18 AM
Subject: Diggers prompts new detecting, police ignorant of the law


> Today I was walking my dog in a city park near my home. I saw a young man
> using a new metal detector and digging small holes with a garden trowel. I
> asked him what he was doing and he said he was looking for artifacts from
> the 19th century homestead formerly located in that location. He said he
> had no permit, and that one was not needed in that location. He said he 
> had
> been there before and only found a few old coins and some bullets. Then he
> told me that he just started a couple of weeks ago after watching 
> "Diggers".
>
> I didn't tell him that I am an archaeologist because I was trying to get 
> as
> much information from him as possible (and because he was looking
> several hundred yards away from the house foundation clearly visible on 
> the
> surface). Just as I was about to say something, I saw a city cop writing
> parking tickets. When I told the police man what I saw, he looked at me
> like I was crazy. The cop said he didn't know of any ordinance against it,
> but that he would look it up after he finished writing tickets (only about
> 100 more cars to go!). When I got home, I looked it up and found that in
> fact, metal detecting on city property without a permit is illegal. I then
> called the police to make a formal report.
>
> I share this anecdote to highlight the problems we are all likely to face
> in the wake of the Diggers shows and how we need to do more education both
> of the public and the law enforcement officers. Even after receiving a
> short course on antiquities law the cop I talked to placed enforcement of
> that particular city ordinance somewhere below parking tickets.
>
> Still i'm not sure I handled the situation as well as I could have. What
> would you have done?
>
> Best,
>
> David Ingleman


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