Pubdate: Tue, 13 May 2008 Source: North County Times (Escondido, CA) Copyright: 2008 North County Times Contact: http://www.nctimes.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1080 Note: Gives LTE priority to North San Diego County and Southwest Riverside County residents Author: Tom Pfingsten, Staff Writer DRUG-SNIFFING DOG IN STORE FOR FALLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL Officials Say Narcotics Canine Is A Preventive Measure FALLBROOK ---- Educators voted unanimously to clear the way for canine drug searches at Fallbrook High School on Monday night, a move that officials said was sorely needed at a campus where drug use is common and may be on the rise. The decision will most likely take effect by the end of the school year next month, and will provide for a sheriff's canine and his handler to search lockers, cars and classrooms at the campus, while forbidding the search of individual students. Assistant Principal John Hayek said during Monday night's meeting that drugs are a persistent problem at the Stage Coach Lane campus. "A young lady will come up and say, 'Mr. Hayek, you'd better go check that bathroom,' ... because she's just come out of a bathroom that smells like marijuana," Hayek said. He added after the meeting: "The students who are here to get an education shouldn't be subjected to that." Hayek said the periodic searches will enable campus leaders to discourage drug use in what he described as a preventive measure. "We don't want to find anything," he said. "It's not, 'Let's catch the kids off guard and punish them.' " On the other hand, he said: "If we were to sit and stake out, we could catch somebody every day." Hayek said he did not know whether drug use on campus is increasing, but the tone of Monday night's discussion ---- as well as the perceived necessity of a drug-sniffing dog ---- seemed to indicate that it is. Technically, the board voted to amend its "search and seizure" policy to include a provision for canine narcotics searches. In practice, it will allow for a sheriff's deputy and a canine companion to search for illegal substances. Currently, offending students are busted for drug activity after other children tip off campus authorities, or during "random bathroom searches," said Hayek. Officials said the details of how the canine searches will be conducted still have to be finalized but cited a few examples of how they could play out. For example, Fallbrook Union High School District Superintendent Bob French said, the dog could be walked down a row of lockers and allowed to sniff for drugs stashed by a student. In another scenario, students could be asked to leave their backpacks in the classroom and wait in the hallway while the canine sniffs the room. Under no circumstances would a student be sniffed by the dog, French said. "Legally, we cannot have a dog search a person," he said. French, who has been at the helm of the school district for four months, said he did not have a sense of whether drug activity increased. Both he and Hayek deferred the question to Fallbrook High School Principal Rod King, who did not attend Monday night's board meeting. Still, said French, "If there are any (drugs) there, I think it's a big deal." San Diego Sheriff's deputy Pete Alvarado said he is prepared to search classrooms and vehicles with his canine partner, a German Shepherd named Quandro, but would prefer if there were no students around when he did. "My priority is the legality of it," he said. "We need to do this in a legal manner." Alvarado said Quandro is trained to smell seven types of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. Which of those drugs have been found at Fallbrook High School was unclear. "He's a good dog," said Alvarado. "If it's here, he'll find it." Board member Bill O'Connor praised the idea before the board voted its approval. "This is a good step," said O'Connor. "We're here for the safety of our students." Another member, Lynn Colburn, said that he once witnessed a classroom drug search performed by a police canine at Orange Glen High School. "The students really took it in stride," said Colburn. "They automatically left their backpacks and left the room." Colburn said parents often ask him what the school district is "doing about the drug problem," and pointed out that the board has to decide on the fate of campus drug offenders every month when it votes on student expulsions during its board meetings. "I think we, as a board, have a tremendous responsibility to provide a safe environment," he said. "We have to admit that (narcotics are) here, and we have to do something. We have to take strong action." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom