Pubdate: Sat, 25 Feb 2006
Source: North County Times (Escondido, CA)
Copyright: 2006 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: Jennifer Kabbany, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

SOME QUESTION, SOME SUPPORT CANINE PROGRAM

MURRIETA ---- Nearly a month after the Murrieta school district 
announced a decision to allow dogs to search campuses for illicit 
drugs, its officials are still working to get students to understand 
and feel comfortable with the program.

Some students do. Others don't.

Two assemblies Friday morning in Murrieta Valley High School's gym 
capped off similar events conducted throughout the week at the 
district's other middle and high schools, during which students 
learned about and were shown a demonstration of how the program works.

The searches are expected to begin next month, said Murrieta Valley 
Unified School District spokeswoman Karen Parris, but she declined to 
be more specific.

As students filtered out of the second assembly Friday morning, one 
young man yelled out "Smoke pot every day!" Some students laughed and 
waved it off, saying they support the program.

"I think it's cool," said junior Philip Vargas, 16. "It'll stop a lot 
of drug use at school."

Junior Sean Byrne, 17, said sometimes the smell of marijuana lingers 
in the air in bathrooms.

"This will get a lot of kids who do that to leave our school," he said.

But some students said they are upset officials OK'd the program.

"I am not happy it's here," said sophomore Steven Grisham, 15. "Why 
should they have to bring drug dogs to school?"

Some students at Creekside High School, the district's continuation 
high school, are also unhappy about the program.

"They are taking over the schools now, you don't get any bit of 
privacy anymore," said senior Brett Bruesch, 18. "Schools don't feel 
safe anymore. Next thing you know, they'll have snipers on the roof."

Murrieta Valley High School's student newspaper, The Talon, also 
quoted several students this month in an article about the program 
calling it an invasion of privacy, "over the top" and something that 
will create more drama at the campus.

Regardless of how students feel about the program, it's here to stay, 
officials said.

Murrieta police Officer Dave Baca, one of the department's liaisons 
with the district, said Friday that the program hasn't even started 
and it's already having a positive effect.

Before the announcement that the dogs were being brought in, Baca 
said he would hear reports of the smell of marijuana smoke in 
bathrooms a few times a week and arrested students for drug 
possession several times each month. Now, that has greatly diminished.

"We haven't had any reports of smoking in bathrooms or arrested 
anyone for possession of marijuana in a month," Baca said. "I'm glad 
it's here."

Interim Director of Student Support Lorie Coleman said 99 percent of 
the calls she has received from parents have been in support of the program.

Murrieta officials are joining several other local school districts 
- ---- including Temecula Valley Unified and Perris Union High School 
- ---- in allowing searches to take place on campuses.

The dogs sniff the air around lockers, backpacks, desks, vehicles, in 
bathrooms and near other objects ---- not students. If illegal items 
are detected and found, the student could be arrested and possibly 
suspended for up to five days, Murrieta school officials said.

The dogs can smell illicit drugs, prescription pills, alcohol and 
gunpowder, and often can also smell tobacco, fireworks, knives and 
items used for graffiti, Christine Hazelton, president of Interquest 
Detection Canines of San Diego, told students during the assembly.

"This dog is not here to catch and bust people," she said. "This dog 
is here to provide a safe environment." Searches are random and 
unannounced, she added. "Sometimes it's when school starts. Sometimes 
it's in the afternoon."

Hazelton talked to the students about the program for about 15 
minutes, then showed them how the dogs can sniff out items they are 
trained to detect and simply sit down next to them.

"If you are asked to join us, that doesn't mean you are in trouble," 
she said. "We'll ask you to come back to the office. If there's 
nothing in (your possession), that's it, you're done. ... If you are 
reeking of marijuana, I am fairly certain Officer Baca is going to 
want to have a discussion with you."

During a question-and-answer session, one student asked if teachers' 
desks would be searched. Hazelton said no. Another student asked 
where it's safe to hide drugs when the dog visits.

"Somewhere other than this campus," she replied.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom