A group of twentysomthing campers out in the woods of Le Roy on a fine fall afternoon got an unexpected visit from K-9 "Pharoah" today.
A hunter in the area had reported suspicious activity and five people with a tent in the woods.
There was also a car in the area that didn't have matching plates. The area was also the same area where some marijuana cultivation took place a few years ago. There had also been some burglaries in Pavilion this week and the car matched a vehicle that had been spotted in the area.
The campers were not as easy to find as the initial caller said they would be, but with all of these unconnected dots, Pharoah was called in to assist Le Roy PD in locating the group of people.
It turned out to be nothing more than three -- not five -- young people having set up an overnight camp out in the woods.
When they were finally located there was no indication of any illegal activity at the campsite (which was north of Wright Avenue and West of Lake Street). There are also no clear property markers, so it wasn't even clear they were on private property (the village owns a one-acre triangle of land in the area).
The three people, whom Deputy Brian Thompson (above with Pharoah) described as very cooperative, were sent on their way with no charges filed.
3 people out camping, not
3 people out camping, not bothering a soul and the man with authority sends them on their way.........good job law enforcement , you showed them ...
All it takes is a random
All it takes is a random phone call to send in the dogs to search 20 something peoples stuff? A Police state in its infantcy. Im suprised the swat team wasnt sent in. gotta love the militarization of the local police
Do we know for sure they were
Do we know for sure they were asked to leave or could "sent on their way" mean finishing setting up there camp out as there appears to be no wrong doing.......
Guess I'll try to beat Howard
Guess I'll try to beat Howard on this one. When someone calls the cops and reports 'suspicious activity', the police are duty-bound to check it out. It's what they do. As for the 'dogs' being sent in, from the post, I'm reading 1 dog - NOT dogs!
The story even alludes as to why the dog was there - "Pharoah was called in to assist Le Roy PD in locating the group of people", and, "...and the car matched a vehicle that had been spotted in the area."
And, cj, NOWHERE does it say that ANYONE's 'stuff' was searched.
Have any of you out there ever participated in the 'exercise', where a dozen or so people sit around a circle, and the 'excercise' instructor whispers something in the 1st persons ear? Then, by the time it goes around the circle, it comes back as something completely different. For the life of me, I could never figure out why. And THAT is with something that's spoken. But to have someone READ something, and have them screw it up by adding THEIR OWN STUFF is, Oh, I don't know, unconscionable at best.
And, David, this is only an ASSUMPTION on my part. But, I'm guessing that where the post said that the officer sent them on their way doesn't necessarily mean he told them to leave. Now, he may have. I certainly don't know. It's possible that "... were sent on their way" means they were just allowed to resume what they were doing. As I said, I don't know for sure. If I know my nephew (Deputy Thompson), once he talked with them, he PROBABLY excused himself for the intrusion and told them to have a good time. If it's REALLY that important to you, I could probably call Brian and ask him exactly what was said (or done).
I've learned over the past
I've learned over the past few years that sometimes people will grasp any straw to bash police. Rather than see this as a positive story about law enforcement where officers did their job, checked it out let some kids leave without citing them for simple trespass, which they could have, they recognized the kids hadn't done any harm and didn't intend to, so while hassle them further with a citation?
I have no idea if the kids were told to leave or were about to leave anyway and I don't much care. There is a high likelihood they were on private property.
But mainly, what a great picture of Brian and his k-9. Which is the main reason I even wrote about the incident.
Well, thank Ed and Howard for
Well, thank Ed and Howard for reason, and Thank You Deputy Brian Thompson and Pharoah for always seeming to be around to answer the calls no matter how minor and God forbid how major they may be.
Generally -- and personally
Generally -- and personally in forty years I've not found an exception to this -- people in the United States who describe it as a police state, or anything approximating one, have never experienced an actual police state. (I would exclude certain minorities in this, as sadly, their historical experience may vary.)
Actually Howard, I've learned
Actually Howard, I've learned over the years that some people just like to bitch and complain no matter how minuscule the detail.