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They prospect for evidence and memories
Metal-detectors' club focuses on fun, serviceFebruary 07, 2000
By Robert Martinez
Staff WriterYou never know what you'll find if you dig deep enough. Who knows, you might even unearth some good, old-fashioned civic responsibility.
Founded in 1966, the Prospector's Club of Southern California is a 300-member collective of metal-detecting enthusiasts. The tightly knit organization is led by club President Bill Meers of San Gabriel and George Johnson from Downey, members since 1980 and 1976, respectively.
Both men could tell plenty of stories about all of the jewelry, wristwatches and coins they've found in Southern California parks, beaches and deserts over the years. But these modern-day '49ers have more than just buried treasure on their minds.
"We all work together to help law enforcement agencies on crime scenes," Johnson said. "That's something that (our club) saw the need for."
More than 10 years ago, the Prospectors Club established the Crime Scene Search Unit, over which Johnson presides as commander-in-chief. Since then, members have worked closely with countless Southland police agencies, lending their talents to all sorts of local police investigations.
And they're very good at what they do. Meers recalled one commendation that the club received in 1996 after unearthing a particularly crucial piece of evidence.
"We found a bullet that killed an officer, so the (Pomona) police department gave us a real nice plaque," he said.
The search unit has assisted agencies from Valencia to San Diego and has received kudos from, among others, Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca.
"Last year alone, I was called out 30 times," Johnson said. "Usually we work for the Sheriff's Department. They handle most homicides."
With the search unit's help, Meers explained, investigators are able to cover far greater areas in much less time.
"Most police departments have two metal detectors," he said. "We can get 50 guys with metal detectors if we have to. That's why we get called out so much, because we can put that kind of crew together."
But the prospectors' sense of civic duty doesn't end there. Aside from the search unit's duties, club members basically help whoever they can, whenever the opportunity arises. After a series of fires in Altadena, they were able to ease at least one resident's grief, Johnson said.
"(A woman) had a beautiful home that burned down," he said, "but all she wanted was a ring that had been passed down from generation to generation. This was her great-great-grandmother's ring, and we found it for her."
Such acts are their own reward, Meers said, but they also stem from the prospectors' natural love for the hunt.
"Whenever we find jewelry, if we can identify the owner, we return it," Johnson said. "Like when you find a class ring, it's fun to try and track down its owner. It's a challenge."
But whether they're assisting investigating officers or forlorn local residents, it's not simply a matter of charity it's also an act of fair exchange, Meers said.
"We feel that we're giving something back to the community, since they're letting us use their parks," he explained. "We donate our time because it's a privilege to metal detect in city parks."
Both Meers and Johnson expressed disappointment that metal detecting in Whittier parks requires an annual permit costing $10 for residents and $25 for non-residents. While they emphasized the importance of replacing sod after digging out an artifact, they conceded that many less-experienced hunters leave city parks looking more like post-game polo fields.
"In our hobby there's always going to be one bad apple who doesn't know what he's doing," Johnson said, "But Whittier, being an old city, would sure be a good place to hunt."