I just had a not-so-pleasant run-in with a transient while scouting, and it's a nice coincidence that the last topic created was another "Have you ever ___?" As a "community" I know we aren't exactly law-abiding citizens, but I feel that many of the people in this hobby have set certain standards for themselves which definitely aren't respected by most of the non-explorer people we might encounter. Have you or would you ever call the police for a non-emergency issue you witnessed while exploring?

For example, if you find someone living somewhere neat and they are actively trashing the place, would you report it?

How about if there was evidence of continuing drug dealing / gang activity going on?

I don't think most of us would tattle on a tagger... would you?

Discuss

Since I'm new here, my opinion may not be too well respected but I'll take a whack anyhow.

Taggers will tag and honestly I don't think it's the worst thing in the world. I definitely wouldn't want to be the one responsible for them getting such a petty charge.

As for a transient actively trashing a place, I guess it depends on how long he's been there and how much damage he/she has done. Obviously a night in jail for a transient is better than a night in an abandoned building so I wouldn't feel so bad about that. However I personally would not call them in.

If I saw a bunch of punk kids breaking stuff and stealing things I would scare them in one way or another just enough to where they leave and don't come back.

Like you said, trespassing is a crime and you likely don't have any more right to be there than them.

In regards to drug use, I would absolutely call in the nearest department if I saw anything more than simple drug use. Abandonments draw in all kinds of illegal activity which can turn a neighborhood bad really fast. Nip it in the bud before it can even happen.

If you feel that was too much to read, I would NOT call the police on anything simple or "small crime."

What happened with your transient friend anyhow? I just saw that you're from Lynnwood so I'm going to take a wild guess and say that it was a tweaker?

It wasn't anything actually, just "unpleasant" in that it was weird. Actually it was down in Seattle, was walking around and I saw someone's stuff right by an old access point and looked closer cause I thought it might be another explorer, but suddenly some weirdo just walked out of the bushes and stared at me. He looked relatively normal and younger than me, well-dressed so I got away from his stuff and tried talking to him but he just stared, would not say anything. It put me off (sorry I disturbed you but at least I'm talking to you like a human being, return the favor asshole) and creeped me out at the same time, so I left. I looked back a few yards later and he was still just staring. For some reason again it made me angry and I have a short temper when I'm not at work, so I shouted I was going to call the cops and tell them where he was squatting.

Now I just feel bad though. I didn't actually call and was just being mean I guess; I realized he's probably just some poor mentally unhealthy person, but it got me thinking on the topic.

Oh that's very interesting. He was probably surprised to see you and maybe even scared of you?

On a side note, is there anything interesting down near Seattle?
I rarely go down there since it's such a long drive but I saw something heading north on I5 somewhere between Stanwood and Marysville....

Only called the police once, after we were threatened with a large wooden pole, had our tyres slashed and were shot at by a farmer and his wife in Belgium.

Called the fire service once too when some moron kids set fire to a building we were exploring.

No reason for me to EVER call the po-po, although I've never had my car vandalized by some asshole with a gun.

No

I honestly don't see nay position where I would call the police unless someone's life or my life was in immediate danger and I thought that calling the police would help. Other than that, if I saw like dangerous stray dogs I'd probably call the doggie police(animal control) but that's a little different.

Found a meth lab in a ghost town building about 6 years ago, and you can bet your ass I called the police. Outside of that, never came up.

I have -zero- tolerance for arsonists,vandals, and scrappers destroying my shoots. Trespassing in its self isn't always a crime, the above are.

Drug users and such I don't bother with. Squatters I actively avoid whenever possible.

If people were wrecking the place, using, or doing much else besides exploring or squatting, I'd leave and call the police. I've only been tempted once:

DSC_0067

With a group that large, it's pretty probable there's some vandalism going on, but I didn't because, firstly, I didn't see them do it, and secondly, they were actually shouting down instructions on how to get in. Probably not the best group of people, but I'd feel like a jerk repaying them like that. Besides, it's not like a little more graffiti will hurt KPPC.

Posted by LuminousAphid For example, if you find someone living somewhere neat and they are actively trashing the place, would you report it?

I met one homeless person that had been living in an abandonment for 3 years, had his own bedroom setup and everything. Never thought about calling the cops about it.

I actually believe him living there scared off most of the people, besides graffiti artists and daring explorers.

Would I ever call the cops about something I find in an abandonment, probably not. Don't see any reason to, as it'd more than likely just end up with the building being boarded up or even demolished.

If I found gang activity, drug related crimes besides just drug use, or found a body, I'd probably call it in. Vandals, it depends on the situation.

I explore a lot of active sites, so when I see something unsafe I sometimes tell security. One particular instance was a door I found unlocked, leading to the pit of an active elevator shaft. Really not something you want the neighbourhood kids stumbling upon... I told security about that one.

Never called the actual police though.

Posted by The Viscount Andrew Dalton I explore a lot of active sites, so when I see something unsafe I sometimes tell security

Your elevator story made me think of this:
https://www.youtub...atch?v=7OYBTLLmAME

The only time I would call the police on my location is if:
a. My life or something serious of mine is in danger or has been hurt(tires slashed, etc)
b. Something happened that causes or will cause damage/violence in the community (ie drug labs, gang activity, etc)
c. If i pay attention to the news and if there are any ongoing investigations and such and I find something that may be of interest to the police

In 2008, I found a dead squatter in a house out in the sticks. Made an anonymous phone call to the state police when I made it back home, but never heard anything afterword on the new channels.

This was shortly after watching the documentary Some Kind of Death (https://www.youtub...atch?v=ErooOhzE268) and I felt really sad for the guy.

Posted by heinrick In 2008, I found a dead squatter in a house out in the sticks. Made an anonymous phone call to the state police when I made it back home, but never heard anything afterword on the new channels. This was shortly after watching the documentary Some Kind of Death (https://www.youtub...atch?v=ErooOhzE268) and I felt really sad for the guy.

Anyone interested further in that subject probably saw this topic:
http://www.uer.ca/...=1&threadid=115128

Sadly, if no one cared enough to realize he died, the news folks certainly wouldn't care either. I don't really care if I have a huge funeral and tons of people show up, but I do hope that I will have made enough of an impact in the world that someone realizes I'm dead

Posted by Jonsered Found a meth lab in a ghost town building about 6 years ago, and you can bet your ass I called the police. Outside of that, never came up.

That's about the only reason I'd call the police. Unless I found a body, or something that would jeopardize the safety of the area (I can't imagine what that would be besides a bomb or something). Locations are going to get vandalized and tagged; calling the cops on them would probably cause more problems for you than for the vandals.