Pubdate: Mon, 05 May 2008
Source: Tillsonburg News (CN ON)
Copyright: 2008 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc.
Contact:  http://tillsonburgnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2388
Authors: Stephan Kleiser, and Ashley House
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs)

POLICE, SCHOOL BOARD WILL CONTINUE ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS

EFFORTS: Police can still do searches

A Supreme Court decision ending random drug searches will not affect 
the work police are doing at area schools, said Tillsonburg OPP 
detachment commander Insp. Jack Goodlett.

Last week, The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that  random police dog 
drug searches won't hold up in court  because they violate privacy rights.

The ruling was spurred after a Sarnia student appealed  charges 
against him in 2004 when a random drug dog  search found him in 
possession of marijuana and  mushrooms at school.

The ruling means police cannot do a sweep of schools  for drugs 
without prior, justifiable suspicion of a  crime.

Goodlett said OPP in the Thames Valley area has not  done any of 
those searches in the past few years  because they were waiting for 
just this decision.

"As such the Supreme Court decision has no impact on  what we have 
been doing," Goodlett said.

He added that their efforts to keep schools drug free  will continue, 
however, as they are still free to  conduct proper investigations and 
act on tips.

"And we have a police officer in the schools and that's  helping us 
achieve our goal," he said.

"Of course we will follow the law, but that doesn't  mean we have to 
stop the work of keeping the school  drug free. We can still do 
searches. We have never  searched kids' backpacks, but lockers are 
school  property and if the school asks us to we can still  conduct 
searches in schools, but we will certainly work  within the law."

In Norfolk, Constable Mark Foster said the ruling could  have an 
impact but police have other tools as well.

Foster said there's a possibility of more drug  trafficking or 
possession on school property because of  the ruling, but warned 
students the police force will  continue to be diligent in keeping 
drugs out of  schools.

"Our high school officers and patrol units will  continue to be 
observant and act on any tips or  knowledge they have or get from 
students," Foster said.

With enough information, police can still apply for a  search warrant 
for a particular locker.

Foster said the possibility of dogs coming in at any  time kept 
students wary of bringing their stash to  school. The intention of 
the random searches, Foster  said, wasn't always to lay charges, but 
ultimately to  create a drug-free school.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom