Cops warn Pokémon Go players: Please don’t trespass to catch ‘em all

Morning! Playing #PokemonGO? Don't catch & drive! Wait, park & then #Pokemon Go. #GottaCatchEmAll but safely! #LESM pic.twitter.com/cVCBKf1zd9

— SarasotaPD (@sarasotapd) July 11, 2016

Law enforcement agencies around the globe are reminding citizens to obey trespassing laws and follow common sense when playing Pokémon Go.

The new crazy-popular mobile game has led to some frightening results in recent days, such as the location of a dead body and robberies of players in Missouri.

On Monday, San Francisco Police Department Captain Raj Vaswani warned in one online posting for players to “obey traffic laws, please.”

“Do not run into trees, meters, and things that are attached to the sidewalk; they hurt,” he said. “Do not drive or ride your bike / skateboard / hipster techie device while interacting with the app. Know where your kids are going when playing with the app, set limits on where they can go, so they don’t keep going trying to get that Pokemon.”

Meanwhile, in Bangor, Maine, the police wrote on Facebook:

1. For those who have asked me if there are any Pokemon in our lobby (or gym..hah), I have no idea.
2. Please use caution as I do not believe the game was intended to be used while driving. This could be a problem.
3. We do not have an Emergency Phone Charging Station in the lobby and No, you cannot turn yourself in on a warrant in exchange for recharging your phone.

In Virginia, the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook on Monday that it has been “experiencing a rise in Trespassing and Suspicious Activity events recently due to the new Pokemon Go app.”

The agency continued:

Deputies have located numerous individuals on business, church, and government properties at all hours of the night, when these places are closed to the public. The participants are using their phones to find the location of “Pokemons” in order to play the game. These actions are considered trespassing and put the individual and Deputies in a position of unnecessary risk. Please refrain from going onto property without proper permission or after appropriate times. Parents should encourage their children to avoid these actions for their own safety and enjoy the game responsibly.

Similarly, cops in Western Australia noted: “‘I was collecting Pokemon’ is not a legal defence [sic] against a charge of trespass, so be sure that you have permission to enter an area or building.”

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, authorities wrote: “Never use your phone while driving; don’t step into the road without looking; watch out for others—particularly if they’ve got their noses buried in their phones; be aware of what’s happening around you; and respect other people and their property.”

Listing image by Sarasota Police Department