Pubdate: Tue, 05 Mar 2002
Source: Frederick News Post (MD)
Copyright: 2002 Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company
Contact: 
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/contact/contactfinalnew.cfm?contact=letters
Website: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/814
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n337/a02.html?1952
Author: Steven Cirko
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

SCHOOL DRUG BUST JUSTIFIED, NEEDED

Ashley Mullan made the suggestion that we should be educating our youth in 
the in the laws and illegal activity that go along with drug use ("High 
school drug bust not positive solution," Feb. 26).

It hasn't been that along ago that the "DARE" program was in part of our 
school system. This program addressed those issue that she's concerned 
about, but did little to help the problem.

The point about wasting tax money is valid, but not in the manner she 
states. The waste comes from placing the police officers in the schools 
with these types of programs and not on the street enforcing the laws. It 
should be the responsibility of the parents and not the police.

We as a society should start holding people responsible for their actions, 
and the use of the canine teams helps to do this in a positive manner. To 
state that this type of enforcement disrupts the school is false. Every 
effort is made by the officers and school administrators to avoid any 
disruption. Having been in some of the local schools on a regular basis, I 
guarantee that there are other problems that cause more of a disruption 
than any canine scan.

STEVEN CIRKO, Frederick
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