Pubdate: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 Source: Charlotte Observer (NC) Copyright: 2004 The Charlotte Observer Contact: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/78 Author: Emily S. Achenbaum Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States) POLICE DOGS MAY GO FULL-TIME IN SOME AREA HIGH SCHOOLS Board Considers Sheriff's Proposal In Order To Detect Drugs, Weapons Labrador retrievers sniffing for drugs and weapons may be brought into high schools this year if the school board approves a proposal by the Union County Sheriff's Office. The Union County Board of Education heard about the idea at its meeting Monday. Some board members raised concerns about the dogs biting or acting aggressively toward students. But the two Labradors the sheriff's office is acquiring aren't trained to bark or snap if they detect a suspicious scent, said Deputy Christy Baucom. Far from it: These dogs will lie down and look at their handler to signal a scent. "It's a family pet," Baucom said. "His game and play time is to find drugs." The proposed program would have the dogs in two of the county's six high schools, Piedmont and Weddington, full-time, said Baucom. Piedmont and Weddington were selected because they are already staffed by the sheriff's school resource officers. Last year, dogs were used at the high schools countywide for random drug searches only a few times. The dogs would help uncover drugs already in the schools and work as a deterrent, Baucom said. The fully trained dogs would cost $3,800 each. Local businesses have pledged to buy the dogs and cover other costs related to the animals, including kennel construction, vaccinations and grooming, said Sheriff Eddie Cathey. Cathey said if the school board approves the program, the sheriff's office will then pursue the pledges to fund the program. The dogs would be trained to detect scents of substances that include marijuana, cocaine, heroin and gunpowder. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin