Pubdate: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 Source: Journal Gazette, The (IN) Copyright: 2006 The Journal Gazette Contact: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/908 Author: Michael Sanserino Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) HUNTER, A BLACK LAB, WILL BE PATROLLING AT HOMESTEAD TO SNIFF OUT DRUGS AND FIREARMS There's a newcomer to Homestead High School, but he's 10 years younger than most incoming freshmen. Still, he has a beard. And he's going gray. Hunter, a 4-year-old black Lab-rador retriever, starts his first day of school Wednesday with the rest of Homestead. He's a police dog patrolling for narcotics and firearms. Homestead's Resource/Patrol Officer A.J. Pape presented the idea of full-time police dog for the school to the Southwest Allen County Schools board in March to supplement the district's No Alcohol No Drugs campaign. He has spent the last three months training with Hunter – a former hunting dog donated to the Allen County Sheriff's Department. "The deterrent factor is the key," Pape said. "You're making these kids think, 'Why would I bring firearms? Why would I bring narcotics to school? The dog's going to be here every day.' " Pape and Hunter will randomly search lockers, cars, trash cans and bathrooms. Pape and Hunter also will be at extracurricular activities and will search extracurricular buses leaving Homestead. Pape is not allowed to pinpoint specific students, but if Hunter does detect the scent of a narcotic or a firearm, Pape would tell school administrators, who could then conduct a search. The dog also will be used as an educational tool for middle- and elementary-school students. He is not aggressive and is approachable when not conducting searches. Even in social settings, though, Hunter is capable of detecting the presence of an illegal substance without Pape's command to search. Homestead sophomore Alex DeFreeuw is a little skeptical of the program. "Personally I think that's a little bit over the top, but whatever the school wants to do, I guess." Hunter lives with Pape as a house pet. His services cost the district $700 annually. Local donors have covered the rest. The only cost the sheriff's department incurred was in training Hunter. As part of the No Alcohol No Drugs campaign, and at the urging of parents, the district last year started testing, for drugs and alcohol, Homestead students involved in extracurricular activities and those who drive to school. During the school year, SACS received a three-year, $480,000 federal grant allowing it to go from testing 10 students a week to 40 a week. The grant also allows the district to test every seventh student for steroids and conduct another test that detects enzymes from alcohol. Last year, 10 of 545 testswere positive for an illegal substance, which could have included alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, opiates and cocaine. The district did not release more specific information. After a first positive test, students are ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities or drive to school for 45 days. Taking rehabilitation classes at the school or entering a community program could reduce that to 10 days. No student tested positive twice, and SACS social worker Anita Gross said most students opted for rehabilitation. SACS Superintendent Brian Smith was pleased with the first year of the program and hopes the district can continue to test after the grant expires, even if it's done on a smaller scale. Though students in extracurricular activities and those who can drive to school are the only students the district is legally allowed to test, Smith said the program didn't deter students from participating in extracurricular activities, noting that numbers increased for the football team and marching band. Junior Alex Tordi, a member of Class Royale, the school's show choir, found out he would be tested during his fourth-period Spanish class. "It was seven minutes till the bell rang, and I got a pass to go to the office," Tordi said. "Once class got out, I went to the office. … They gave me the cup and I went into the bathroom. I came out, and then they took the information they needed, and then I left. I didn't mind it." Tordi said the test "didn't burden me." He finished it in time to make his next class. He and his parents are supportive of the testing. "It shows that the school cares about the students," Tordi said. Though she wasn't tested last year, senior Ally Vaillancourt, also a member of the show choir, supports the school's testing policy. "I have nothing to hide," she said. "If you want to test me, go ahead and test me. I don't have a problem with it." Gross said the district this year plans to test 40 students at Homestead and 15 students each at Summit and Woodside Middle Schools weekly. By the numbers SemesterStudents testedPositive tests First1583 Second3877 Total54510 Note: A grant allowed the district to increase the number of students tested during the second semester. Source: Southwest Allen County Schools Consequences for positive tests First offense 45-day suspension from extracurricular activities 45-day driving permit suspension Second offense 90-day extracurricular suspension 90-day driving suspension Third offense Permanent extracurricular suspension Permanent driving suspension Note: Students may choose to enter a diversion program, which calls for them and their parents to sign a contract. The extracurricular and driving suspensions are reduced to 10 days upon completion of the program. No student tested positive more than once last year. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman