Pubdate: Thu, 06 Apr 2006
Source: Whitehorse Star (CN YK)
Copyright: 2006 Whitehorse Star
Contact:  http://www.whitehorsestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1493
Author: Stephanie Waddell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DOG, HANDLER PROVE POPULAR DRAW

During their short visit to Porter Creek Secondary  School, a 
Medicine Hat, Alta. police officer and his  canine friend have been 
"swamped with kids" wanting to  hang out with the chocolate Labrador 
who's part of the  Dogs for Drug Free Schools program in Medicine Hat.

On Wednesday night, approximately 60 parents, students,  community 
members and MLAs who packed the local  school's cafeteria for a 
public meeting were asked by  Medicine Hat Police Service Sgt. Randy 
Youngman to  think about how well he'd get to know the students 
if  he was at the school full-time with four-legged  sidekick Fiddler.

Youngman arrived in Whitehorse earlier this week to  discuss Medicine 
Hat's Dogs for Drug Free Schools  program with the community.

"They fought like hell to get it in Medicine Hat," said  Youngman of 
the two officers who proposed the program  for the community.

Youngman's visit, principal Kerry Huff pointed out, is  being done on 
his vacation time. The officer and dog  have met with students and 
teachers at the school,  school council officials and territorial 
cabinet  ministers.

It was last April, at just eight weeks old, that  Fiddler and Lilo 
were introduced to two of the high  schools in Medicine Hat with the 
school liason  officers, who work there full-time. Every day, the 
dogs get up and go to work with their handlers.

"These dogs go to schools five days a week from eight  in the morning 
until four in the afternoon," said  Youngman.

The dogs are passively trained. When they sense there  are drugs in a 
particular area, they will sit next to  it as an indication rather 
than barking or scratching.

"Just don't sit," Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell joked  when he was 
greeted by Fiddler as he came into the  meeting last night.

Labradors were chosen for the job because of their  temperament, 
Youngman said. The police service also  selected female Labs because 
they tend to learn faster,  he added. They are trained as companion dogs.

Youngman stressed the program goes beyond drug  detection. It acts as 
a conduit between police and  students, who approach the dogs and end 
up speaking and  getting to know the school liason officer.

As the police get to know individual students, they  might start to 
realize when something is different or  is bothering a particular student.

The program has also seen students at the school take  ownership of 
the dogs, who serve as somewhat of a  mascot. In Medicine Hat, 
students got to name the pups,  though some suggestions like MJ and 
Toker didn't make  the cut.

"Of course, those were soundly rejected," Youngman said.

In the end, Fiddler was selected because the school was  doing a 
production of Fiddler on the Roof at the time.  Lilo was named after 
Lilo in the Disney movie Lilo and  Stitch.

The program has also really helped special needs  students at the 
schools, said Youngman. Unlike people,  Fiddler and Lilo don't 
discriminate by labelling  students. The dogs just want their bellies 
rubbed, he  sad.

In one particular case, a school had a special needs  student who 
would essentially shut down and speak to no  one when he was upset. 
After Fiddler arrived at the  school, when the student became upset, 
he wouldn't  speak to anyone but would approach the dog and start petting him.

Asked if he wanted to walk the dog, he agreed. The 40  minutes it 
used to take to get the student to talk  about what was bothering him 
are down to 15 minutes  thanks to the dogs.

In Medicine Hat, the initiative became a community  effort with the 
Rotary and Kiwanis clubs paying for  Fiddler and Lilo and a local vet 
clinic covering their  veterinary needs.

In starting the program, Medicine Hat used a different  method than 
was taken in Edmonton, where it started. In  Edmonton, it is one 
officer running the program at one  high school, essentially on his own.

Medicine Hat made some changes to suit the community there.

If it started in Whitehorse, there would also likely be  unique 
circumstances that would see changes made from  the Medicine Hat 
program, Youngman suggested.

"There's all kinds of ways to tweak it," he said.

Medicine Hat, for example, already had full-time school  liason 
police officers at the schools, unlike  Whitehorse.

Here, he said, it could mean starting a pilot project  at one school 
like Porter Creek Secondary, or possibly  all three high schools, 
where the school liaison  officer may be the counsellor or a teacher, 
he  suggested.

Or maybe it could mean discussing the possibility of  the RCMP taking 
on a new role in the school, said  Youngman.

He stressed the program is not designed to infringe on  anyone's 
right. Officers might pass on information to  the school principal, 
who can then decide how to  proceed with that information.

The Supreme Court of Canada, said Youngman, has already  ruled a 
school principal can search lockers provided he  or she has reasonable grounds.

Asked by one parent about enforcement, Youngman said  the dogs are 
not there as an enforcement tool. While  police aren't likely to 
arrest a student if it's  something minor, they might not like their 
parents being contacted, he pointed out.

While last night's meeting was perhaps a preliminary  step, it 
appears the program may be supported by at  least one territorial minister.

Before Youngman's presentation, Education Minister John  Edzerza said 
he thinks "it's fabulous."

Edzerza, who has a granddaughter attending Porter Creek  Secondary, 
also told the crowd that drugs are a  community issue.

"This issue is something we all have to face," he said.

Before concluding the evening, Youngman spoke to the  crowd about crystal meth.

This trip to Whitehorse, when he met with government  officials, was 
the first time he's seen any legislative  building where three 
parties have come together to talk  intelligently about one issue.

Huff indicated in an earlier interview that the program  will likely 
be discussed by the school council at its  meeting in May.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom