Pubdate: Fri, 24 Mar 2006
Source: Spruce Grove Examiner, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2006 The Grove Examiner
Contact:  http://www.sprucegroveexaminer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1842
Author: Trevor Miller
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

SCHOOL BOARD STAND FIRMLY BEHIND DRUG DOG PROGRAM

No drugs in Parkland School Division schools, PSD's board of education
said, and this time the trustees put money behind that statement.

The issue of drugs came forward for a second time before the board,
this time during an unscheduled portion of business arising from the
minutes at the beginning of a meeting March 21.

Trustee Marie Anstey asked the board to approve contributing one-fifth
of the cost of the passive drug dog team, conditional upon the other
four partners contributing their portions.

"Drugs are not an issue in Parkland School Division schools, they're a
problem in this province and they're an issue in this community,"
Anstey said. "I really believe that if all five partners could get
together and join arms collectively, that we could really make a
difference for the youth in our community."

Const. Craig Albers with the Spruce Grove/Stony Plain RCMP detachment
explained, when the issue came forward the first time, that visits to
schools by a drug sniffing dog would be intended as "sort of a deterrent".

The idea is to "give the kids kind of a heads-up. We want to make sure
that the school is a safe environment."

The way the idea would work is that a community policing officer with
a passive drug dog would show up in the hallways of schools from time
to time, both to detect any illegal substances and to increase RCMP
visibility.

According to Albers, the plan is to run this system similar to the St.
Albert detachment, which has a community policing officer, with a drug
dog, visit schools in the city on a regular basis.

However, Albers said, the visits are "done without warning, with no
set schedules."

The officer and dog could also visit a school at the request of its
principal, in cases in which there is suspicion of illegal activity.

During the earlier meeting, the concept was simply presented for
consideration.

At this week's PSD board meeting, though, other members echoed
Anstey's comments about contributing financially and voted unanimously
to write a letter to RCMP Insp. Wade Blake stating that intent.

Copies of the letter will be sent to the other partners and the local
MLAs.

According to information provided by the RCMP, the total cost of
setting up a passive drug detection dog unit is expected to be
approximately $29,000, with a cost-per-year after the initial set up
of $2,700.

The other partners considered in this venture are the Evergreen
Catholic Regional School Division, the Town of Stony Plain, Parkland
County and the City of Spruce Grove.

According to board chair Caren Mueller, ECSRD's board of trustees is
also in favour of the drug dog team, though due to the timing of the
request the board was unable to commit to any funding at its March 13
meeting. Mueller expects the issue to come forward again in the near
future.

The City of Spruce Grove council had also planned to discuss the issue
during its March 13 regular meeting, but the item was removed from the
agenda at the beginning of the meeting.

"Administration has some more work to do on this," said city manager
Doug Lagore, who added the intent was for the issue to come forward to
council at a later date.

The passive drug dog investigation first came before the board Feb.
21, when a letter from Blake asked for support of the project. At that
time, the board wrote a letter supporting the initiative in principle.

The project is expected to be similar to one taking place in St.
Albert, where the dog does not replicate the duties of the two police
service dogs in the provincial capital district. 
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MAP posted-by: Tom