You're still trespassing. How do they know you're not doing anything illegal? For all they know, before you started taking pictures you were smoking meth or looking for stuff to steal. That's easier said than done about having them go easier.

Posted by Tarrant You're still trespassing. How do they know you're not doing anything illegal? For all they know, before you started taking pictures you were smoking meth or looking for stuff to steal. That's easier said than done about having them go easier.

yea, but police are pretty good at reading people. that's why there are a lot of times people like us do get sent on our way.

I've been 'arrested' (not sure what counts as arrest) twice, both while squatting as a teen.

The first time was fairly benign. It was a military base so the MP's were likely feeling pretty shitty that homeless kids were a thing in their incredibly insular, solidly middle-class community. They just drove us off of base property and let us go.

The second time was worse - I got roughed up a bit (fat lip & bruised ribs) and was taken to a station. When they realized that I was working with the NIS their whole attitude changed and I was suddenly being offered petty comforts - hot drinks and ice-wrapped-in-a-towel for my face. Hoor-fucking-ray. I spent that night sleeping on an office-sofa, since they'd so rudely booted me out of my squat.

Posted by DSomms even the VPS security panels.

I want/need one of those.

Posted by ahhntzville I want/need one of those.

They are laughably easy to take off from the inside.

I've been caught a few times but never had a ticket. Most of the cops have been reasonable and a few times it resulted in a fun chat. Some were annoying and unreasonable, then I just acted like I was really sorry/scared shitless and that has always worked too. It does hurt you pride when someone is talking to you like you're a child and you're like 'yes sir sorry sir', but arguing with people like that often only leads to more trouble and wasted energy.

Some of them find the subject just as interesting as we do. When you're nice to them they slip out of their role easily. Some of them just don't get why the hell you're in this old piece of shit building taking pictures. That makes it a bit harder to convince them, but just be nice and it will probably work out. Last time I was caught the cop raged for 10 minutes straight about all the dangers and my stupidity, but just before letting me go he admitted that he really wanted to see my pictures as he had never been inside himself.

Now it might be a bit different here (Netherlands) than in the US. A friend of mine is an ex-cop, when he still was a cop we explored and did all sorts of related illegal stuff. I know another cop that loves exploring and does so during working hours. I even bumped into him inside a bunker once while he was on duty.

So yeah, I believe that in 90% of these situations you can steer it to a happy end. One time I was caught with a trunk full of WW2 bunker interior pieces which I took out of a bunker that was being demolished. When they came they treated me like a fucking bank robber, but after I cooperated and opened the trunk for them they eased down and it all ended in a nice chat once again. In the end they totally understood why I did it and said "I have to write it down as theft on the report but you'll probably won't hear from us again".

Here's how I see it: When cops are called out to a location on a trespassing call at an abandonment, they're expecting to walk in to find scrappers, vandals, or people generally up to no good. When they realize you're just there to take pictures, its probably a bit of a relief. Just explain yourself, why you're there and what you were doing. Don't immediately go on the defensive and argue. As sirpychosexy said, chances are you can talk your way out of it if you're respectful and honest.

I did an explore very recently where I was first approached by security on a road in the back part of the facility. Initially, I was alone and told them that I was checking out some old rail road tracks in the woods when I saw the buildings through the trees and decided to take a look. They appeared to relax and even told me that there were better buildings up the hill and gave me a lift (because it was too steep, they didn't want me to have to walk all the way up with my backpack). I was let off in the midst of most of the abandoned buildings, the campus is marginally active with only a small amount of full time residents.

I took pictures for a while, even saw security again and chatted. I promised them I would not go into the buildings, and despite this being a ridiculously easy place to enter from what I saw, i had given them my word so I stuck to the outside. I did get some shots through windows, open doors and collapsed walls.

After a while of this, I came across an old, beautiful building with semi-manicured landscaping. As the sun was setting behind it, I was setting up to take a picture when a woman came out and was clearly staring at me. I waved and explained that I'd checked in with campus security and that they'd told me that I was okay as long as I stayed outside of the buildings, which I was. She seemed at first satisfied but then began to say "You can't take pictures of the buildings!" I apologized and left, back into the morass of vacant structures I had been in minutes before.

This facility has a campus police in additional to security. After a few minutes I notice a police car driving about, I am sure to store my main memory card in a safe place and continue making my way, slowly and curiously, towards the exit.

After a few minutes, I am spotted by the PD and he pulls up. He informs me that I"m trespassing and I explain that I'd seen security and that I had told them about why I was there, and that my father had worked there in the 70s (he had). He let on that he had already spoken with security so he knew my story already. He seemed like he genuinely didn't want to ask me to leave, but that he had to give me a no-trespass order. I walked off grounds and he followed me to my car where he took down my plate number. After we finished, I said "Sorry for the bother, but you have to admit that they don't make buildings like they used to!". He smiled and said "Have you ever heard of the old Danvers state? I worked security there for 20+ years starting back in '67". After a while of talking, I informed him that he and I could probably trade some stories over some beers sometime and he laughed and said "Probably". He apologized again for having to give me the no-trespass, but gave me the name of someone who manages the buildings on the campus and told me to give him a call, maybe he could help me out with my research. Fortunately, I have some letters after my name that get some play in the mental health field.

TL;DR - I was nice to security and they gave me a map and a lift. I was nice to the cop and I was given a no-trespass but a person to talk to about getting an authorized tour.

Pics to come soon ;)

Luckily I have not had a run in with the police yet, while exploring at least. But there have been several arrests recently at a abandoned TB hospital that I have been to multiple times. It has all been 16-20 year olds. The first group was 9 freaking people! On a weekday evening nonetheless. Second group was around 4 or 5, and that was at 3 in the morning. Both times the story was all over the local TV and newspaper. The last group had drugs on them as well. Both groups told the police they were "ghost hunters". The state police, who have a barracks close by, are now saying they will be arresting and charging anyone caught on the grounds. It's idiots like this that make things for true explorers much more difficult.

I have never been arrested yet, but I had a close call with the police lately that taught me a few lessons.

I was returning to a location I already visited once without trouble, and brought 2 friends with me this time. We already had scouted two other locations that happened to be too visible at this time, so I was more and more desperate to get inside that one. I ignored a ton of warning signs (security car parked nearby, even if the car was empty) because I was overconfident about this location. 2 minutes after we crossed the fence, we heard two security guys chatting about us on the other side of the fence. Luckily we noticed them and we got out when they were done chatting, and they didn't see us exiting.

A few minutes later, two cops came in and flashed their lights at the exact same spot where we entered. We were already out of trouble when they came in, so watching them losing their time for us was pretty enjoyable after all. What surprised me is that they didn't bother to look inside the building, they just walked between the fence and the building, looking very closely at the nearby crane too. They stayed there for 20 minutes and left quickly after that.

Lessons learned:
- Don't be overconfident about locations already visited.
- Be patient and don't hesitate to leave it to a better day.
- Cops have a very short response time on Friday nights.
- Cops are sometimes too lazy to search the entire building.

almost got caught in a grain elevator but after lying still for 15 minutes they left!

Step by step: How to deal with police

Step 1 - Do this...



Step 2 - Reap the rewards.


Fortunately for me, I have not encountered the police. Only been threatened to have them called on me and/or have them circle a place I was intending to check out. Once they finished driving by every 5-10 minutes, I continued on with my activities.

Not too long ago I was detained by police for about ten minutes. For nine of those minutes, I assumed that I was going to be spending the night (at least) in jail. I was handcuffed, and told in official-sounding language that I was being detained on suspicion of B&E. This had never happened to me before, and I was perhaps a bit dazed, so I didn't distinguish between being detained and being arrested. This happened in Canada.

Only in retrospect does it seem amazing that, within fifteen to twenty minutes, on a weekend evening, half a dozen police showed up to pounce on one poor guy who'd wandered onto a construction site through some security fencing which had been blown down by wind.

When, after fifteen or twenty minutes, I emerged from the building, I saw a guy in a hoodie standing by the gap in the fence. My first thought was, "Another would-be explorer, less intrepid than I! Maybe I'll tell him to go ahead and enjoy himself." As I approached him, I guessed on second thought that perhaps he was affiliated with the site in some way, and was sizing me up, wondering if I belonged there. As I passed by him on my way out, I said something like, "Hey, how's it going." He said something like "Good, thanks." I was a several steps down the street before he said:

"Stop. Police."

I stopped and turned, as the guy in the hoodie came towards me.

Ah well. It had to happen some day.

"Drop the umbrella," he said. I dropped the umbrella, as he took one of my hands and bent my arm behind my back. Was he going to frogmarch me, or force me to the ground? I was getting ready to tell him how unnecessary that was when I realized he was handcuffing me.

He asked if I knew why I was being detained.

I said, "Yeah, I can imagine."

He said it was because a person matching my description, carrying an umbrella like the one I was carrying, had been seen on security cameras committing a B&E on this property. I didn't argue. Carrying my umbrella for me, he escorted me up the block, saying some things into his radio about having apprehended a suspect. I said, "You'll at least vouch for me that the fence was down?" He didn't say anything, but led me to where a few other (uniformed) police were standing around, two of them young, one of them older.

He leaned my umbrella against the wall of an adjacent building and told me to stand there. He asked if I had ID on me. Yes, I said, in my front left pocket. I told him he could take my wallet out. He wrote my name, address, phone number in his notebook. Then he gave me a rote legalistic speech that I didn't quite absorb (I supposed I was being "read my rights"), but it must have gone something like this:

"I am detaining you for suspicion of B&E. It is my duty to inform you that you have the right to retain and instruct counsel in private without delay. You may call any lawyer you want. There is a 24-hour telephone service available which provides a legal aid duty lawyer who can give you legal advice in private. This advice is given without charge and the lawyer can explain the legal aid plan to you. If you wish to contact a legal aid duty lawyer, I can provide you with a telephone number. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I think I mostly understand all that."

"What part don't you understand?"

"I guess the gist is that if I want to call a lawyer, you can provide me with a number."

"Yes, and that you're being detained for suspected B&E."

"Right, yes."

"Do you want to call a lawyer?"

I told them that I'd never been in this position before, and asked them if they could or would tell me if in their opinion I needed to call a lawyer. The older one said, "I can't even answer that."

"Right, I understand."

"'Potentially,'" he said, putting air quotes around this word -- potentially, he told me, I could be charged for breaking and entering, but it would depend on some things, like (possibly) whether or not any damage had been done, and whether the owner of the property would want to press charges, and so on. (This is all very approximate. It's amazing how quickly we forget the exact words of a conversation.) He wasn't trying to reassure me, but rather, I think, emphasize how perilously unpredictable my immediate future was. Nevertheless, I think I was somewhat reassured. I said I'd certainly welcome an opportunity to explain myself to the owner.

All over the lower mainland, he said, on construction sites like this, property owners were losing tools and all kinds of valuables to theft, so I could understand that they might be a little ... "Nervous," I said. Right.

The cop in the hoodie asked again if I wanted to call a lawyer.

No, I said, I didn't think I needed to call one just yet.

"Also I should tell you that you are not obliged to say anything, but anything you do say may be given in evidence."

I said I understood that.

He had half returned my wallet to my pocket, and now slid my ID in on top of it. Announcing what I was doing, I reached around and pushed the wallet more securely into my pocket.

The cop in the hoodie said, "On the way over here, you wanted to draw my attention to the fact that the fence was down."

Yes. And I said that I hadn't noticed any No Trespassing signs, though I admitted that there probably were some.

He asked, What were you doing on the site? I said that, since the fence was down and the site appeared pretty quiet, I didn't think I would hurt myself or anyone else if I went inside and looked for an open door. I found an open garage door at the back of the property, and went inside. I wanted to see if I could get a view from the roof. I climbed the stairs to the top (nineteenth) floor and enjoyed the view from a couple of balconies, then came back down. (For some reason, I decided not to admit that I had in fact climbed up onto the roof through a hatch and enjoyed that view too.) I think I left it implicit that I hadn't taken or disturbed anything. I quite obviously wasn't carrying any power tools.

One of the other cops said that I was lucky the wind hadn't blown me off. Another, at some point, said that it was too dark to get any view. I said that the view of downtown was nice even at night. Another, at some point, said that walking into construction sites was a good way to get bit, or arrested. (I assumed he was talking about guard dogs, not police dogs.)

"Well, I've never had either of those things happen before. Not that I make a habit of this," I added quickly.

The cop in the hoodie asked where I had been coming from, where I had been going. He asked if I had been drinking, or taken any drugs. He asked if there was anything sharp in my pockets, and patted them. "What's this?" "That, oddly enough, is a bottle of honey." I had a bottle of honey in one pocket; a lady on the street had given it to me in exchange for some coins to make a phone call. The cop didn't ask. He told me to remain here with his partner (there were two of them), then he walked away.

Two minutes went by, during which, wanting to broadcast my genial, law-abiding sanity, I made small talk with the two young uniformed cops standing there with me. "How's your night going?" "Not bad; just started a night shift." One of them asked me if I had plans for tonight. I laughed, still thinking that the answer to that question obviously depended more on them than on me.

The cop in the hoodie came back, asked to see my ID again, took it out and put it back, then he and the older cop told me how dangerous what I had been doing was. I didn't have a light, it was a dark building bristling with hazards (I paraphrase), if I got locked inside no one would find me until Monday morning, etc. I told them that I had been very careful; then I said, "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt." (All I should have said was, "You're right. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry." I did at least refrain from making a speech about victimless crime; and luckily I didn't say anything like "I'm always very careful every time I do this.") They told me that they had been about to send in a dog to sniff me out, since they couldn't search the whole building. Meanwhile, the cop in the hoodie removed the handcuffs. The older cop, in conclusion, said that the bottom line was that even though there was a gap in the fence, the fence had been put there for a reason. The cop in the hoodie said, I hope you'll make smarter decisions in the future. I said something lame like, I certainly won't look the same way at a fallen fence again. Then I was free to go. I apologized for the trouble, and thanked them for being so decent about it. Then I walked away down the street, pretending to be just another inconspicuous pedestrian, until gradually I became one.

Not the best story, but a learning experience for sure...

On one of my very early trips we were walking out from behind some buildings. We technically weren't trespassing at this point, however, the way the area was laid out, there was only one reason why we'd be coming from that direction. There was a cop car lurking out of sight that wasn't there when we went in. So obviously he knew we probably were inside. He asked us to put our hands on the car so he could pat us down, and ask if we were carrying any weapons.

Now here's the stupid part... Because we were total n00bs at the time, we thought that abandoned buildings would be full of violent drug addicts and gangsters with meth cooking operations, and that we might need self-defense. Of course, those still are possibilities but I've never seen or heard of it. Anyway, my friend gave me a tazer that I had on me in case something went down.

Now I always like to be agreeable with cops, so I said, yes, I have this stun-gun, and set it down. He was like "awww man, now I have to do a full search, and look you guys up. Soon handcuffed, he looked up our info over the radio. Clean record. He went through our backpack - the cop was reading the items over the radio "Flashlight, water bottle, slim jims.." Then the other officer got excited like we had a "Slim Jim" (which is a tool for breaking into cars.) Actually we just had the smeat-jerky. They removed batteries from our flashlights to make sure nothing was stashed in them. They found our P100 asbestos/mold respirators and assumed we were graffiti writers. We explained that we were just taking pictures, but they weren't buying it. They checked our hands for paint, which were clean, and they told us to get out and stay away. And graffiti's not worth it, so knock it off and they better not see us again.

We went back next weekend with no problems. (Though a totally different area of a very large campus)

I guess the lessons learned here are, don't carry weapons, even self-defense ones. Don't hide your drugs in flashlights. Always carry a box of Slim Jims for the lols.

It was a routine Friday night at Overbrook the day I got caught. I was showing another UER member who was in from Maine around the complex, when suddenly we saw movement at the end of the hallway. There were always people at Overbrook, so I wasn't too concerned. Two of our other friends were also hanging out inside by themselves. As we approached the man at the end of the hall, he stepped out from the shadows.

"What are you guys up to, just exploring"

"Yeah, just exploring" I replied.

"Oh yeah? Why are you doing that?! Huh??

Quietly, under my breath, I neutered, "oh shit..." As my girlfriend cowered behind me.

"Why you backing up huh?! Why you hiding?!" The man yelled to my girlfriend.

She replied "Because there is a strange man shining a light in my eyes!" She snapped back.

"You don't have to worry. I'm the police" he said, as the light from his flashlight illuminated his vest.

"Come with me".


The officer began to lead us out, but he was walking in circles. He couldn't find the door he came in from. After a few minutes of this, I gambled and said "Actually officer, if you just go around this library there is a door on the other side that leads outside". Amused, he asked me to lead the way. We were outside in no time. He issued us all summonses for trespassing, but considering I had an open beer in my hand the whole time I could have gotten in much more trouble. It taught me a valuable lesson. When in doubt, just take the nearest exit and avoid confrontation.

I've been arrested once. It really, really sucked. It's a long story, but it's here:

http://www.uer.ca/...d=1&threadid=90615

Posted by NotTheCops Also wouldn't stealing handcuffs count as taking something from a location? I thought that was against the UER laws?

Technically, the handcuffs came with the cop, not the building...

Posted by billgeorge The older cop, in conclusion, said that the bottom line was that even though there was a gap in the fence, the fence had been put there for a reason. The cop in the hoodie said, I hope you'll make smarter decisions in the future.

I had a very similar experience in Texas. How I got caught there is pretty entertaining, but I'm going to skip ahead to the part where I'm surrounded by police officers behind my vehicle adjacent to the property that made it all happen:
I was not ever cuffed, but I thought I was going to be. While waiting for my ID info to be confirmed by one of the four officers, the younger officer gave me that, "let's hear it," look, and I told the truth: I was out here in the shittiest part of town in a dark decaying motel so I could practice light painting techniques on some old rotting buildings. I got some blank stares and silence. I offered to show them the photos. They declined the invitation (I got out of another similar issue after a cop actually instructed me to show him my Flickr site, lol, and then let me go after he searched my vehicle - that happened on a construction site as well). I then said something along the lines of, "I understand why I am in trouble, but I didn't see any signs that said, 'no trespassing..,'" and just kind of let my voice trail off into a question (there were actually no signs on the property for some reason).
The older cop that seemed to be heading up this sordid episode had joined back in the conversation by then and motioned toward the chain link gated fence - the very one that I had to low crawl under to gain access to the property. He then looked back at me and said, "the gate is your sign." I just nodded my understanding (it didn't hurt that I had tears running down my face when I made eye contact, which was really from the bitterly cold wind that night, but I went with it). They went on to tell me very much the same thing they told you, admonishing my irresponsible behavior, and so on. One of the younger cops said something like, "it's a death trap in there!" I did have to agree with him on that one. The older one chimed in again, indicating that they would have to contact the owner, and it would be up to him whether or not to press charges. A few minutes later, after some muffled conversations between each other and their radios, the lead cop comes back. "Well, we're not going to call the owner. He has standing orders to arrest anyone on the property, so you're lucky you're not leaving here in silver bracelets." I tried to stick to "Yes Sir, No sir, and thank you, Sir" for most of this encounter, and that was probably for the best (although it really is hard to hold my tongue sometimes, especially when being chastised).
Your narrative about the fallen fence made me think of that rather odd misadventure. Every time I think about that brush with the law, I think of, "the gate is your sign!"


*Edited because I'm too anal about my grammar.

Posted by Dee Ashley I didn't see any signs that said, 'no trespassing..,'" and just kind of let my voice trail off into a question (there were actually no signs on the property for some reason). The older cop that seemed to be heading up this sordid episode had joined back in the conversation by then and motioned toward the chain link gated fence - the very one that I had to low crawl under to gain access to the property. He then looked back at me and said, "the gate is your sign."

In Texas signs aren't needed if the property is secure with a fence and gate, and even more so if it has purple paint on the fence posts.
I like it much more when they need to be signed and posted every 100 feet!

Unfortunately it sounds like you accidentally found a neighborhood sore spot and too many cops with nothing better to do. A lone cop might have been more incline to cut you loose.

Yesterday I almost got caught by the police... I went to this prison early morning I park like a mile away, I'm been in to this place like 5 times but yesterday one of the 2 door that allow you to go to the back yard, was open (the other 4 times I been inside, the two doors were close) so yesterday that door was OPEN, finally I'm allow to explore the entire place , FINALLY!!!!! So I was very happy exploring the cell blocks taking pictures locking through the Window if somebody show up on the parking lot but nothing, I was completely alone with the entire place to explore.
I finish with one part of the cell blocks so I decide to go to the west part, To get there I need to cruse from the main building where is that second door (the door that was close) but I saw with my flashlight the door was open (on that minute I was like 50 feet from that door) I run to the door to see if somebody maybe break in but thinking the entire time POLICE POLICE POLICE so I went to the front door of the building and I saw a police car with the fence of the prison open, FUCKKK what do I do now!!!! I don't know where is the cop, I don't know if is another cop on the car. what Tha he'll I do now. If I go and hide somewhere and the cop close that door and the other door (the door that was open) I'm complety screwed.
On that minute I was on the middle of the front door and the door that was close (the door that the cop open), so I quickly run to the emergency exit but from that exit I was still on the view of the police car (that exit door is like 6 feet from the ground and has a concrete stairs) so in front of the police car walking through the stairs not a good idea so I decide to just jump very fast and star running BUT when I hit the ground my tripod fell from my backpack and hit a metal piece of something, I was like... REALLY!!!!!! I was making a perfect clean scape but with that noise the cop Definitely heard that so I grabbed the tripod and start running, I didn't lock back, just run run run.
I got out of the property, walk very fast to my car, drive back to the place but this time I park in front of the building to check if the cop still were there but nothing, only 4 girls taking pictures in front of the building (I saw those girls from the roof) so I ask them if they saw a police car park right there, they told me: Yes, one of the cops got into the building and the other one was inside the car.
SO it was another cop inside the car!! I don't understand how the hell he didn't saw me jumping from that door, I was like 40 feet from the car and he didn't saw me, WELL good for me hehe.