Pubdate: Wed, 30 May 2007
Source: Whitby This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007 Metroland, Durham Region Media Group
Contact:  http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/info/whitby/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3823
Author: Malcolm T. Baron

RANDOM SEARCHES IN SCHOOLS SERVE PURPOSE

To the editor:

Re: Unfettered police powers don't jibe with Charter rights, Jeff
Mitchell column, May 25.

While I agree with Jeff Mitchell that we do not need to give the
police any more power than they have, I would argue he is wrong in his
recent column about the Sarnia high school student who is making a
charter case out of his arrest for possession of drugs at school.

Mr. Mitchell argues that if this is allowed to stand then the next
thing you know the police will be conducting random searches of people
in public parks. Public schools are not public places.

If Mr. Mitchell decided to wander the halls of his local public school
it would not likely be long before the police were asking him what he
was doing there. Would he find this unreasonable? If he doesn't, he
can't equate a public school to a public park.

He argues RIDE spot checks are acceptable because they keep dangerous
drivers off the street. He can't logically argue that is acceptable,
but not consider the random search for illegal drugs at school acceptable.

The presence of illegal narcotics at school lead to the danger of
those drugs being peddled to my children and the creation of a culture
within the school were events like the recent murder of a 15-year-old
boy becomes possible. They lead to a poor learning environment for our
children and the acceptance that the behavior associated with that
culture is acceptable.

MALCOLM T. BARON

Oshawa
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