We had a group of about 8 or 10 out at Firestone this afternoon, and after a quick trip over to Inwood Park to catch the White Whale, we returned to Firestone. Not more that 10 or 15 minutes later, one of Nassau's Finest pulled up. He said they had gotten a number of calls about us. He was well aware of the hobby (even asked if the A380 had come in yet) and had no problem with us being there. In fact, he said he had told headquarters that we weren't bothering anyone or causing any problems. He asked how long we were planning to stay, so that if he got any additional calls, he would know it was us. He wished us a good day and left.
About an hour later, the same officer pulled up again. He said they had received additional calls about us. He said he was stopping by because someone in the parking lot stopped him to report us, and he wanted to be seen "checking us out". He also joked that the last call they received was about "15 Middle Eastern men" with cameras - we both had a laugh over that one before he left. An hour or so later, a different NCPD officer pulled up, explaining he was just stopping by because they had gotten some calls. He also knew about our hobby, and asked if we had seen the "big plane" come in, as he hadn't seen it yet. I briefly explained the current A380 schedule and mentioned how Inwood Park was a better place to see it, and he would have to check out the park one day.
While it's a bit distressing to see so many people calling the police when they see our group out, I am glad to know not only that our friends in the 4th Precinct are checking these things out, but that they have come to understand and accept what we are doing out there. Some good encounters all around.
