[AZ-Observing] Re: Bullhead City police have issues with Amateur Astronomy.
- From: Dan Heim <dan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 03 Jan 2014 10:17:52 -0700
Yeah, it's all about attitude. The cops were just doing their job. Back
in the 80s when I was teaching I had assembled maybe 20 students in a
wash in north PHX for that "grand planetary alignment." It was in the
pre-dawn hours. Washes are "public space" here, so no trespassing was
involved. Probably didn't help that I was driving a VW bus and had
parked it in the wash for easier scope deployment. When the squad car
stopped to investigate, the first thing they did was hit us with the
spotlight. I started to walk toward to the squad car, reaching into my
pocket for my school ID. They both got out of the vehicle with hands on
their sidearms and told me to halt. I explained from maybe 50 feet away
what was going on, and that I was reaching for my ID. They told me to
take it out slowly (which you better believe I complied with). At that
point, they approached in a somewhat more relaxed manner. Ended up
showing them Saturn, which they thought was pretty cool. -Dan Heim
On 1/3/2014 2:53 AM, Darren Johnson wrote:
> "Well that was a first for me. My telescope session tonight was ended by
> police. Apparently astronomy has become a suspicious activity here. I set
> up my desk, laptop and telescope in a nearby empty lot with no lights.
> After driving past twice and destroying my night vision with a spotlight 2
> police cars came flying into the lot. I could see the dust in the
> headlights flowing into my optics. They got out with hands on their side
> arms and asked me what I was doing out here at 2am. I said what does it
> look like? I was told they ask the questions and I answer unless I want to
> go to jail. I was searched, handcuffed and detained for 20 minutes while
> they attempted to intimidate me into admitting some non-existent crime.
> They told telescope didn't look like a telescope it looked like a mortar
> tube. Asked me why I needed a computer to stargaze. They then made me pack
> up my equipment and go home. My one attempt to proclaim I have rights
> almost got me arrested.
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