City to Metal-Detecting Sleuths: Be Patient — Or Be Arrested

Metal detectors at midnight — or any time of day — will not be tolerated.

That's the message Rochester officials want you to hear amid downtown's Main Street Makeover.

City Manager Jaymes Vettraino acknowledged this week that there have been a few instances of curious onlookers with metal detectors in tow scavenging Main Street, presumably in search of some historical treasures.

While city leaders have made no secret that those treasures probably are buried underneath the road, they are also adamant that those relics aren't yours to find and keep.

"Not only is it an issue of safety, but it's also essentially the looting of public property," said Vettraino. 

The road is managed by the state of Michigan, so any items discovered underneath it are property of the state.

Those items will, however, be turned over to the city, which will preserve and catalogue them.

So be patient, Rochester. And leave the detecting to the experts.

For more about the Main Street Makeover, see our guide on Patch.