Pubdate: Fri, 03 Jun 2005
Source: Banner, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 The Orangeville Banner
Contact:  http://www.orangeville.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2217
Author: Peter Criscione, Banner Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

K-9 SEARCH FINDS POT AT SCHOOL

At least one student remains "a person of interest" after officers 
recovered a significant amount of drugs from one of the Caledon high 
schools, police say.

On May 27 officers from the OPP detachment's K-9 unit entered an unnamed 
school where they found several hundreds of dollars worth of marijuana, 
said Sgt. Bob Paterson.

"We got a call from a school administrator stating that they had reason to 
believe drugs were located in the building," Paterson said, noting that the 
school cannot be identified because the investigation is still ongoing. 
"That gave us grounds to search (the premises) and we acted on it."

Caledon's three high schools are: Robert F. Hall, Mayfield secondary school 
and Humberview.

Paterson said the K-9 unit, comprised of two police officers and two dogs, 
found a stash of marijuana hidden in a ceiling compartment located directly 
above student lockers.

Police suspect the drugs were going to be sold to students prior to the 
weekend.

"The drugs were found within minutes," Paterson said, adding that no 
arrests have yet to be made in the incident.

Under the provincial Education Act, police have the authority to search 
schools if there is a suspicion that illegal activity is taking place.

"Our schools simply cannot function when students are under the influence 
of illegal drugs, or worse, intimidated by an atmosphere of violence, debt 
collection and threats that goes hand in hand with the illegal drug trade," 
said Insp. Andy Karski, Caledon OPP detachment commander. "Thank goodness 
our search dogs located the drugs. Without these valuable (dog) teams the 
building would have had to be dismantled before the drugs were located."
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