The Police seized my Bounce mushroom

[Tucker64]

Just a couple things I would like to say about some of the comments I've been reading in the thread. I feel like I should clarify a few things.

I did not realize this post would get so much attention! I did not do it for attention either. I posted the thread because I knew fellow hobbyist would understand why I was so upset at first and I needed to vent. I also like to find humor in stressful situations and I knew there would be some funny replies and that others would find it funny as well. I think that the amount of support offered up by total strangers to me on this thread was amazing and something I'll never forget! Not once did I receive one comment on here that I thought was negative to me.

Also the only reason I ever said that it had been "seized" by the local police department was because that's what I and the seller were both told by UPS customer service managers.

The seller was also extremely helpful. I have left his name and other info out out of respect for him. He was right there calling everyone with me! Also this coral was not sold to me by WWC but the seller gave me proof of lineage with his receipt including the receipt that WWC sends with the picture of the actual coral.

The package was shipped from Indiana, not Florida or California.

While the first officer I talked to was a little rude and not helpful. All other staff of the local police department were extremely helpful. However, there was a record of the package from the time UPS sent me the email. This was made evident when the final officer called me and told me what he could about the situation. However, they claimed to never have actually possessed the package while UPS claimed several times to me and the seller that they did.

I of course will not be filling and lawsuits or doing anything like that. While, I think an error could of possibly been made I don't think it's worth my time to pursue any course of action. I'm not a guy that wants to go on causing trouble for people just trying to do the right thing. I have my corals, that's all I ever wanted.

I will however be contacting UPS once again just to answer some questions I have. I feel I have a right to that. I just want to know what made them think the package was suspicious and why I was told the police had seized it. It's more or less just to satisfy my own curiosity. If UPS wishes to contact me I have the names of those involved.

I will continue to post updates of the bounce as I sure some people here would like to see them! I think it would be cool to rename the bounce because of the story behind it. Any ideas?

 

[BradB]

Great fantastic! Now time to bounce from this thread.

Happy you received your coral. I’m sure they will be ok and be a great addition to your Tank.
I read through the thread and found people’s reaction a little funny. “Violation of 4th amendment rights” “get a lawyer” “the cop kept it for his Tank” “the cops are to blame” but it seems like it all turned out to be not the police at all but rather a UPS/shipper issue that flagged it. So I guess the police did exactly what we would want them to do when a shipper contacts them and is suspicious of a package. Maybe the police shouldn’t investigate suspicious packages anymore, Bc really what can ever come in a box through the mail that can harm anyone?

We've all had negative experiences with law enforcement, enough that even when the possibility they are to blame surfaces, we all all cheering for anyone against them. Bad cops act like there are no consequences to anything they do, but these are the consequences - the public hates the police. Not all, or even most, of them are bad, but and not all or most of the bad behavior is on purpose, but as long as **** is allowed to happen, this is the result. Several of my friends are police or former police, but I am still more scared about losing property or my life to a cop making a mistake than a criminal. Sad, but this is the world we live in.

 

[Zephryn1001]

Following

 

[BrotherSheepDog]

Yea, so you say, it's also a go around...

Not sure what you mean?

 

[EuroDriver]

I think it would be cool to rename the bounce because of the story behind it. Any ideas?

Jailbird bounce mushroom, convict bounce mushroom or how about jailbait mushroom lol!

 

[Humblefish]

No knocks protect our LEOs and give them the element of surprise.

I will just say that I believe there needs to be a better balance between protecting our LEOs and protecting our citizen's Constitutional Rights - the supreme law of the land we ALL must abide by.

But have you ever stopped and wondered: How did it get to be this way? US vs. THEM? IMO; it doesn't help that most citizens have nothing but negative or confrontational interaction with LEOs. Remember back when cops walked a beat, and you got to know them as real people and saw the human side? And not just blue lights coming to give you a ticket?

 

[Daniel@R2R]

When it has baby’s sell them under the name “ Smooth Criminal Bounce Mushroom “ lol

Glad they are looking better.

Lol best post award

 

[Mrfantasy]

Ya doesn't really seem legal does it? Seizing property without an explanation or a record of it. Either UPS or the police should pay for it. I don't blame the seller. No way he could have prepared for this.

Thank GW Bush for that one. It is totally legal, they can take anything they want and dont have to explain anything. welcome to the republican world.

 

[DukeOfSavoy]

I can't say for certain why UPS would flag a package. From the police side of it my bet is that they had a Drug K9 give the box a once over, and likely the dog didn't "alert" on the package. If they didn't get an alert then they don't probable cause to open or keep your stuff.

Mitch Heberg summed it up pretty well," I like the Fedex guy, cause he's a drug dealer and he doesn't even know it... and he's always on time." Don't know if I'd agree with the last part, but you'd be surprised by the things that get shipped in the mail.

 

[Mrfantasy]

Maybe it was label suspicious because it was leaking?

 

[Dom]

Just thought I'd share what happened to me today. I bought a WWC frostbite bounce from another reefer and it was suppose to arrive today. Early in the morning I got a email from UPS saying the box had been put on the truck and was out for delivery. Everything seemed normal when the UPS man pulled up to my house however he never got out of the van, sat there for awhile and then left. I thought it was weird but just assumed he had dropped something off to someone else before I had saw the van.

Then I got a email. The email said there would be a delay on delivering my package and that it had been taken by a "Government Agency". Soooo naturally I freaked out. I called UPS immediately and at first they would not tell me anything. The customer service rep asked me what was in the package and I told them coral. This took serval minutes of further explaining as you can imagine. Finally, they told me that my package had been taken by the Akron Police department. When I asked why, they kept saying to contact the seller and he had been told what to do.

So I contact the seller, who was just as shocked as me naturally. Sure enough though he had received no information about the incident. He called and was told it was seized for being a "suspicious package".

I called the Police department and they were extremely unhelpful. I was polite because its the police and I knew if I got overly upset they would most likely be more difficult to work with. So I tried to be as respectful as possible. However, they told me there was no way of tracking the incident which I think is extremely odd. You would think if they felt the need to take a mail piece from me they would want to question me about it or something. They could not tell me why it was taken, when I could pick it up or where it even was. The officer on the phone even asked me if there was a bunch of drugs in the package.......then why would I be calling them?

I explained to them what the package was and that it would probably die if not in the right environment and they did not seem to care. They gave me two numbers to their drug task force and told me that was probably my best bet. After several calls and messages not one time did they answer or return my call.

I just can't believe they can just seize property like that and not even keep track of it. Even if the box had contained something more sinister you would think they would have at least followed up on it, went to my house or some sort of action. If I were a real bad guy I would have been long gone by now lol.

Anyone ever have this happen? What do you guys think I should do?

Your mistake was not going down there in person. You were just a voice on the phone and they had no way of verifying who you were and is why you didn't get very far.

That being said, they didn't just randomly pick a package. Your package was targeted, which means someone alerted them.

 

[Humblefish]

@Tucker64 Just curious, did the sender use the word MUSHROOM on the box, label or any of the paperwork? I would love to know what (presumably) made the driver think there were drugs (or something bad) inside the box? I've always thought it's a good idea to use "live fish" or "live animals" tape when shipping livestock, because maybe some UPS employees will be gentler with the box. I wonder if that might have helped with this situation as well??

 

[Mrfantasy]

@Tucker64 Just curious, did the sender use the word MUSHROOM on the box, label or any of the paperwork? I would love to know what (presumably) made the driver think there were drugs (or something bad) inside the box? I've always thought it's a good idea to use "live fish" or "live animals" tape when shipping livestock, because maybe some UPS employees will be gentler with the box. I wonder if that might have helped with this situation as well??

Yeah but they may also be against people shipping live animals. And he never seen the package so he wouldn't know what was written on it. And why would they write mushrooms on the box?

 

[Tucker64]

Maybe it was label suspicious because it was leaking?

The box wasn't wet.

 

[Tucker64]

@Tucker64 Just curious, did the sender use the word MUSHROOM on the box, label or any of the paperwork? I would love to know what (presumably) made the driver think there were drugs (or something bad) inside the box? I've always thought it's a good idea to use "live fish" or "live animals" tape when shipping livestock, because maybe some UPS employees will be gentler with the box. I wonder if that might have helped with this situation as well??

The box didn't have the word mushroom or shroom on the box. Nothing but the label with addresses of the sender and where to deliver. Yes maybe the live fish label might have helped. I can see that

 

[WWIII]

Almost 1200 people on this

 

[Tucker64]

Your mistake was not going down there in person. You were just a voice on the phone and they had no way of verifying who you were and is why you didn't get very far.

That being said, they didn't just randomly pick a package. Your package was targeted, which means someone alerted them.

I did go down to the station on the first day. I think it's in the original post.

 

[Humblefish]

Yeah but they may also be against people shipping live animals. And he never seen the package so he wouldn't know what was written on it. And why would they write mushrooms on the box?

Maybe not on the box itself, but the form the seller had to fill out before shipping it. MUSHROOM coral. Does the driver have access to seeing that? From the little hand-held computer thingy they make you sign? Just trying to figure out what made the driver (or whoever) react this way.

 

[Ranjib]

Perplexed . But from my limited understand on the rules of engagement With drug enforcement agencies is that they don’t need to explain why, always .
Remember there’s a person on the other end as well, and as we know law enforcement is almost always underfunded , overloaded

It is sad , by all means that they seized your corals . It’s unfortunate.

 

[USMC 4 LIFE]

Body cameras have actually helped law enforcement agencies. Having an incident recorded has deterred false allegations. Has also saved cities millions in avoiding unnecessary settlements to avoid larger more costly fees in taking the matter to court and clearing the agency in question.