Pubdate: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 Source: Scotland On Sunday (UK) Copyright: 2002 The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Contact: scotlandonsunday.com Website: http://www.scotlandonsunday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/405 Author: Karen Rice, Education Correspondent POLICE IN DRUG RAID THREAT TO PRIVATE SCHOOL PARENTS POLICE have threatened to raid the homes of parents whose privately educated children are caught with drugs at school. Officers issued the stark warning to parents and children as young as 12 during meetings at Mary Erskine and Stewart's Melville College in Edinburgh. Lothian and Borders police told them they would make full use of their powers to search the homes of pupils found with drugs or suspected of drug dealing. Other Scottish forces and anti-drugs campaigners yesterday distanced themselves from the threats, saying there were more important messages to get across to young people. But Lothian and Borders Police defended the move and said the warning, part of a police talk on the dangers of drugs, was aimed at explaining what powers police have under the law. The threats will further inflame the debate about heavy-handed treatment of schoolchildren caught with drugs. Last week, Edinburgh's director of education Roy Jobson accused private schools of "washing their hands" of pupils' drugs problems with their zero tolerance attitude. His comments came after Fettes College expelled three pupils for drug-related incidents while Edinburgh Academy announced it would charge parents £50 to test pupils they thought were trying drugs. Parents at Stewart's Melville College, who pay up to £3,800 a term, said last night they were shocked that police had threatened to raid their homes at what they thought was going to be a routine drugs awareness talk. One mother said: "It's like telling an eight-year-old about death, it's not a reality for them yet. They were explaining what drugs look like and the effects of drugs. Then they told us our homes could be searched if they found drugs on one of our children. They said the same thing to my 12-year-old son at a subsequent meeting. I was surprised they'd said it." Alasdair Buchanan, who has a 17-old-year daughter at Mary Erskine, said: " It's reasonable that steps should be taken to properly investigate anyone who is contributing to that environment. I would be amazed if kids at 12 had any exposure of that type. I can imagine some people being concerned about that sort of thing being said or parents being worried police are going to break down their front doors. Presumably, that was not the intention." Police forces across Scotland can apply for a search warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act. But Strathclyde, Tayside and Grampian police forces said it is not something they chose to warn parents and pupils about. Jim Urquhart, inspector of community affairs with Grampian police force, said: "We would not contemplate covering that, it's not a priority issue. It's not a positive issue, that's what you do once the horse has bolted." Alistair Ramsay, director of Scotland Against Drugs, also criticised the comments. He said: "While it's important to give good sound information to both young people and parents, it lies in the judgment of the trained officer as to the level of information passed on. There are other things higher up the scale of priorities that need to be dealt with such as what the penalties are for carrying and supplying drugs." - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D