Pubdate: Sun, 11 Mar 2007
Source: Desert Sun, The (Palm Springs, CA)
Copyright: 2007 The Desert Sun
Contact: http://www.thedesertsun.com/opinion/lettersubmitter.shtml
Website: http://www.thedesertsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1112
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Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

MOVE ON DRUG-SNIFFING DOGS RIGHT ONE

The Desert Sands  Unified School District will soon have one more 
tool available to help deter drug use in school.

At its board meeting on Tuesday, the district decided  to move ahead 
with plans to allow drug-sniffing dogs to  patrol school campuses.

The dogs would only be used at the district's four high schools.

More than 50 parents, community leaders, students, law  enforcement 
officials and high school principals  attended the district's meeting 
to hear from the  community and the board.

The comments made at the meeting mostly favored the  plan; others 
worried that their child may be wrongly  accused.

Admittedly, there are details and procedures that need  to be worked 
out. It's important that everyone  understands the rules and are on 
the same page when the  patrols begin.

Parents and students will not be left in the dark.  Schools will host 
information sessions to demonstrate  how the dogs work and the 
process that occurs after a  dog stops at a student's belongings.

Superintendent Doris Wilson, who plans to return to the  board by 
March 20 with a timeline and potential  contractor, said the district 
wants to use the dogs  once before the end of the year.

That's a smart move. If parents and students see and  understand how 
the sniffing dogs work this school year,  it could spare everyone a 
lot of angst and worry over  the summer.

By the time the 2007-08 school year rolls around, the  idea of 
drug-sniffing dogs on campus won't seem like  such a scary idea after all.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman