Pubdate: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 Source: Lincoln Journal Star (NE) Copyright: 2006 Lincoln Journal Star Contact: http://www.journalstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/561 Author: Margaret Reist, Lincoln Journal Star Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?217 (Drug-Free Zones) POLICE BEGIN PARKING LOT SEARCHES Police dogs combed the North Star High School parking lot Thursday, a new way for Lincoln Public Schools officials to communicate an old message: school is no place for drugs and alcohol. "Along with messages we've already been sending... this would be another avenue to strengthen that message," said Becky Wild, LPS director of student services. Police will search other high school lots, Wild said, but she wouldn't say when. When considering the parking lot searches, administrators weighed issues of privacy with concerns about drug activity. Information sent home to parents each year informs them school officials have the right to search such areas as parking lots, Wild said. And it's legal for police to use dogs in public places - like a school lot - particularly with permission from school officials, Police Chief Tom Casady said. To search a car, officers need permission from the owner or evidence to get a search warrant. Casady, who said LPS administrators contacted him about conducting the searches, called it a good deterrent. "I think to the extent you can make the risk of apprehension greater it minimizes the likelihood that drugs will be brought to school, sold at school or used at school and I think that's a good thing," he said. In January, police arrested a 14-year-old boy at Lincoln High School after finding him with 42 bags of crack cocaine, $177, a cell phone and four makeshift business cards on pieces of brown paper bag. That - and other instances of drugs around the school - prompted police to take several steps to combat the problems, including searching parking lots around the school. LPS officials talked with police at the time about the possibility of searching all high school lots, though they'd discussed that before, Wild said. "All Lincoln high school principals are concerned about illegal drug use during the school day," said North Star Principal Nancy Becker. "(This) is to send a strong message to LPS students and their parents that we want this to be a drug-free zone." Thursday at North Star, officers and school officials stationed themselves at parking lot entrances and used dogs to walk the parking lot. If a dog got a "hit" on a car, another dog was brought in. If it showed interest in the same car, school officials contacted the student. LPD came when students are normally in class, but those who had pre-arranged appointments were allowed to leave. The results, Casady said, were encouraging. Police searched seven cars, including five in which the dogs showed interest, said Capt. Brian Jackson. They searched another car because of information they had about the driver, and one student ran from school security officers because he mistakenly thought they were looking for him. Those searches resulted in one ticket for drug paraphernalia: a marijuana pipe. "That's pretty darn good news if you ask me," Casady said. "There doesn't seem to be evidence in the parking lot." It's too early to say whether the practice will continue, though Wild said it's likely intermittent searches would be the most effective. Casady said he's sure Thursday's search will generate talk among students. "No doubt anyone who has been bringing drugs to school in their car or on their person would be having second thoughts if they knew this potential exists and I think that's a very good thing." - -- Narcotics arrests near schools Narcotics arrests at or within 500 feet of high schools have increased over the past five years, according to Lincoln police. 2005: 102 arrests 2004: 95 arrests 2003: 67 arrests 2002: 53 arrests 2001: 50 arrests - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom