Hi All - reading a recent thread on the NH Geocaching Forums - I thought the information was relevent to share. Posted by NH Zamboni the NH Volunteer Groundspeak reviewer, I have obtained permission from him to quote his post here on our Forums/Threads.

Before you say - this doesn't happen in Maine, it won't happen it Maine - It Has! Please label your containers.

And I quote -

"Groundspeak recently received this message from a state police officer (not necessarily in NH) who is also a geocacher. Since the message really applies everywhere I have pasted it below.

Quote
Hi Geo people,

I am a supervisor with the State Police dispatch center here.

The reason for my e-mail is to let you know of a couple issues with geocaches. (I myself am a geocache chaser, and thoroughly enjoy the sport.)

We have had several situations involving geocaches, in which were reported to our dispatch center as suspicious objects, or possible explosive devices.

When we get these calls, we send out our Bomb Techs who go out to figure out what the item is.

I thought maybe you could pass along to everyone in geocache land, customers, etc... that they really need to identify the item as a geocache, and not just a duct/camo taped item that may look like a pipe bomb.

Just last month we had a state employee call in, saying there was a suspicious object planted under his vehicle, that was parked near the xxxx State Capital. He thought it was possibly a pipe bomb.

The item was wrapped up in camo tape, and looked like a pipe that was capped.

I later spoke with the Bomb Tech who responded, and he told me it was a geocache. He said they are getting more and more of these type of calls, as the general public does not know what the item is. In this case, the geocache some how rolled out from where it was stashed, and the state employee thought someone planted it under his car.

I know of three different incidents this last year (2009) that involved geocaches, where we had to send out our Bomb Techs.

I don't know if you have discussed this anywhere in the forums, if you have, I apologize for being redundant.

I thought maybe you could send out an informational e-mail to everyone to let them know that their caches could be found by the unknowing citizen, who might call the police about a suspicious object.

If everyone hiding caches would properly mark their caches, so anyone finding them could see that they are a geocache, this might help alleviate some problems with the police having to respond, and possibly destroying the geocache.

Thank you for your time

Please do what you can to ensure that geocache containers are not easily mistaken for a dangerous object.

Thanks

-Zamboni
Groundspeak volunteer reviewer"