Pubdate: Fri, 23 Feb 2001
Source: Daily Camera (CO)
Copyright: 2001 The Daily Camera.
Contact:  Open Forum, Daily Camera, P.O. Box 591, Boulder, CO 80306
Fax: 303-449-9358
Feedback: http://www.bouldernews.com/opinion/index.html
Website: http://www.bouldernews.com/
Author: Amy Bounds

DRUG PLAN DRAWS OPPOSITION

LOUISVILLE — Students and district officials aren't convinced a Monarch 
High School parent proposal to allow drug-sniffing dogs in schools is a 
good way to address concerns about student drug use.

The main issue is if the results would be worth violating student privacy 
and trust.

"The intrusion of drug-sniffing dogs in our public schools would probably 
far outweigh the minimum law enforcement benefit it might provide," said 
Boulder Valley School Board President Stan Garnett. "I'm anxious to hear 
what the community thinks, but I doubt they would be wild about it."

Monarch sophomore Kathleen Wickes predicted students "would get really mad" 
if police brought in dogs to search lockers and questioned the 
effectiveness of that kind of search.

"There's a lot of people who do drugs, but they wouldn't find any drugs 
here," she said.

Another concern is that searches during the school day could prove disruptive.

"It would be distracting," said sophomore Josh Usrey. "I don't think it 
would help anything."

A small group of Monarch High parents plans to petition the school board to 
allow dogs to search lockers in school hallways. The idea came out of a 
meeting between parents and Louisville police on drug problems in the wake 
of the ecstasy-related death of former Monarch student Brittney Chambers.

Parents and school resource officers said random searches by dogs could 
show if a problem exists and help keep drugs out of schools.

"It's a tool," said Niwot High School resource officer Russ Nanney, who 
noted the pressure on police to show the public they're doing everything 
they can to keep schools safe. "It gives the school and law enforcement a 
better idea of what's going on."

Several Monarch students said dog searches aren't a problem because 
students who don't use drugs don't need to worry.

"I wouldn't really care," said freshman Brian Tyler. "I wouldn't have 
anything to hide."

Sophomore Danyul Jackson said drug-sniffing dogs are "a great idea."

"Drugs are obviously a problem in the school," he said. "It's not as big a 
problem as some people think, but it's not as small a problem as the school 
thinks. It would be good to get the drugs out of the school."

Neither Boulder Valley nor St. Vrain Valley school district officials could 
recall a time when local schools used dogs to search lockers.

Both districts, however, have seen demonstrations from local police 
departments on the dogs' capabilities.

"We had some serious discussion about it," said Jack Hay, St. Vrain's 
assistant superintendent for learning services. "We decided it's more of a 
public relations move than a real deterrent to drugs."

Fairview High School Principal Dean Palmer said the drug-sniffing dog 
searches at the Colorado Springs high school where he worked before 
Fairview didn't uncover any drugs.

"At one time, we were on a monthly basis with the searches," he said. "I 
never found anything."

He said the searches send a message to students that, "You don't trust me. 
This is to catch me doing something wrong.

"I would just as soon spend time catching kids doing things right," he 
said. "When trust is a very valued part of the school, something drastic 
would have to happen to break that trust. If someone just showed up with a 
dog at Fairview, I would have 1,960 angry teenagers."

Monarch principal Bill Johnson said that when he allowed dog drug searches 
at high schools he worked at outside of Boulder County, no drugs were ever 
found at those schools either.

"I'm neutral on the issue," he said. "It's more of a higher level decision 
of the philosophy of the approach."

Current Boulder Valley policy allows for searches of student cars on school 
property, lockers, backpacks and the students themselves if there's a 
reasonable suspicion.

Joe Sleeper, Boulder Valley's secondary education director, said random 
searches by dogs would be a "significant intrusion" and would require 
approval from the school board.

Along with Garnett, at least two other Boulder Valley school board members 
aren't convinced drug-sniffing dogs belong in schools.

"It would cast guilt on the whole student body," said school board member 
Teresa Steele. "It would give an appearance to students that it's not a 
safe environment."

Board member Bill De La Cruz called the dog plan "reactionary."

"We don't need to alienate our kids more than we already have," he said. 
"We really need to put our energy into working with the community on this 
issue."

Camera staff writer Coulter Bump contributed to this story.
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