Published: June 23, 2006 02:30 pm      

Modern day treasure hunt

Local Geocaching device causes problems for police, gamers

EDMOND — It wasn’t a good day for local wife, mother and Geocacher Diane Surtees when friends told her the police were looking for her.

Surtees is hardly the type to plant an incendiary device, but her “Chicken Lips” Geocaching package — made from a paintball tube, wrapped in camouflage tape and attached to a tree — looked like a pipe bomb to a passer-by, who called police.

The point of Geocaching is to hide small containers in public places. The packages, containing a log book and trinkets, are given catchy names and listed on Web sites for other players to find, using hand-held Global Positioning Systems.

Chicken Lips, one of about 100 caches hidden in Edmond, was hidden near a church and a school, adding to the finder’s suspicions. Bomb squad technicians rushed to the scene, and the package was eventually blown apart. Inside, officers found a spiral notebook, plastic toys, an Oklahoma rose rock and a card identifying Surtees’ caching name, “Okie Rose Rocks.”

But two explosives technicians, four patrol officers and one supervisor had spent at least 90 minutes at the Chicken Lips scene, along with the bomb squad’s investigative robot. Sgt. Scott Fees, supervisor of the Edmond Police Department bomb squad, estimated the cost in man hours and expenses at $800.

Fees later attempted to contact Surtees through a Geocaching Web site, and other cachers called her to tell her the police were looking for her.

“My husband said, ‘Remember, all you did was hide a container of toys in a park,’” she said.

But to Fees and other investigators across the country, it’s not quite that simple. Fees spoke about the problem to about 40 members of the Central Oklahoma Geocachers on June 10.

“When we get a call, we have to act in accordance with the information we receive,” Fees told the group. “An item that’s called in as a pipe bomb gets investigated as a pipe bomb.”

Chicken Lips was the second Geocache incident in Edmond in the past year, Fees said.

The sport’s popularity is increasing rapidly nationwide, but law enforcement officers aren’t entirely happy with the trend.

Fees said a paintball container like Chicken Lips potentially could have held a block of C-4, more dangerous in explosive weight than a military hand grenade.

Capt. J.D. Wilson of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said he knows of at least three caches investigated by OHP bomb technicians in the past two years.

“They did look like pipe bombs,” he said of the items. “They were made of PVC pipe with end caps, and either painted neutral colors or camouflaged.”

The OHP bomb squad is called to cities across the state, so travel time becomes an expensive factor.

“When you count the drive time, plus we always take a K-9 bomb investigator and a minimum of two etches, it’s a minimum of six hours on each event. Then there’s the time spent by the local police department and fire department,” Wilson said.

Geocachers are loosely organized and are asked to follow safety considerations published on Web sites. Participants generally follow the guidelines, Fees said, but people unfamiliar with the sport often don’t recognize a cache when they see it.

Fees advised the local Geocachers to play responsibly and give careful consideration to the appearance and location of their containers. He suggested searching for already-established landmarks or monuments instead of hidden packages.

He also recommended the use of clear plastic packages, easily examined by passers-by and police.

But Fees said no matter how carefully a cache is designed, there’s always the possibility it could contain a bomb.

“What does a bomb look like?” he said. “A lot of (bomb calls) we go on are things that are packaged suspiciously and inconspicuously, just like these devices.”

With the increasing popularity of Geocaching, Fees said he fears the situation will only grow worse for law enforcement officers. Nevertheless, he appreciates the appeal of the sport.

“I think it’s a neat deal,” he told the Geocaching group. “The more I find out about it, the more my perspective on the whole thing changes.”

Fees said the local group’s gathering to discuss safety issues should be imitated by other groups nationwide.

“Gamers need to be in contact with the authorities and those responsible for the parks in their area,” he said.

Surtees and other local participants still are looking for ways to work responsibly with local park officials and law enforcement officers.

“These plans are still being ironed out,” she said.

(Alice Collinsworth may be reached via e-mail at acollinsworth@edmondsun.com.)



Geocaching Q&A

• What is Geocaching?

Geocaching is an adventure game for GPS (Global Positioning System) users. Individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations on the Internet. GPS users then use the location coordinates to find the caches.

• How do you pronounce Geocaching?

“Geo-cashing,” like cashing a check.

• What is usually in a cache?

All caches contain logbooks for visitors to sign. Larger caches contain items for finders to take, but they’re asked to leave something of equal or greater value in return.

• What’s the big deal? You give me the coordinates so I know where it is. Seems pretty easy.

It’s deceptively easy. It’s one thing to see where an item is; it’s a totally different story to actually get there and find it.

• What is a GPS device?

It’s an electronic device that can determine your approximate location (within about 6 to 20 feet) on the planet. You can use the unit to navigate from your current location to another location.

• How much does a GPS device cost, and where can I get one?

Costs range from $100 to $1,000 and more, depending on the capabilities you’re looking for. Some come with built-in electronic compasses, topographic maps, more memory, etc.

• Where are caches found?

Almost anywhere, including on rocky cliffs, underwater, in cities or countrysides, above or below ground, indoors or outdoors. Some caches require special equipment to find.

Source: www.geocaching.com