Pubdate: Tue, 22 Jan 2008
Source: Ledger Dispatch (Jackson, CA)
Copyright: 2008 Amador Ledger Dispatch
Contact:  http://www.ledger-dispatch.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3431
Author: Raheem Hosseini
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSIDERS UNANNOUNCED DRUG SEARCHES

Local high school students may have a new mascot to get  used to in 
the near future: Sabo, the drug-sniffing  German shepherd.

Following a planned Dec. 20 drug search at Argonaut  High School that 
resulted in suspensions and citations  for three students with drug 
paraphernalia, district  and school officials say bringing a 
drug-sniffing dog  onto campus is something they're considering doing 
on a  regular, unannounced basis.

"We do plan on using that deputy with the drug dog  various times in 
the future," said Principal Dave  Vicari. "We do feel we have some 
concerns because we  learn about drug use from our students and we do 
want  to use this deterrent to protect our campus."

In the weeks leading up to winter break, Amador County  Unified 
School District Superintendent Mike Carey said  reports were coming 
in of students stocking up on  illicit substances for the holidays. 
The district had  hoped to convene an assembly at Jackson Junior High 
School with the drug sniffing dog two weeks before the  Argonaut 
search, but couldn't get the dog in time.  "We've been planning on 
doing this," Carey said.

Vicari said he found out a week before the search that  the deputy 
with the K-9 unit had become available, and  things fell quickly into 
place from there.

Though the campus is in Jackson, the effort was  coordinated by 
School Resource Officer Rod Fisher, a  Sutter Creek police officer 
who handles all the law  enforcement issues at the county's two high 
schools,  according to Jackson Police Capt. Christy Stidger.

Sgt. Ken Powers of the Sutter Creek Police Department  hesitated to 
give out further information, saying  police matters "get really 
sticky" when involving  minors.

The Amador County Sheriff's Office, on request from the  school 
resource officer, provided a deputy with a K-9  unit to do drug 
searches in the common areas of the  school, such as the locker area 
and parking lot,  according to Undersheriff Jim Wegner. What the 
deputy  didn't do was allow his K-9, a German shepherd named  Sabo, 
to search the students themselves.

"The courts have deemed that a violation of privacy,"  Wegner explained.

Aside from being suspended, all three students were  cited by Fisher, 
Vicari said. Added Carey, "None of  these kids were at that second 
level where they could  be expelled."

The search didn't include Amador High School, Carey  explained, 
because of the last minute nature of the  operation and because most 
of the rumors involved  Argonaut High School. "A lot of the chatter 
was more  about Argonaut than Amador," Carey said.

Whether future searches will include Amador High School  as well 
remained unclear. Principal Allan Van Velzen  didn't return requests 
for comment before deadline.

Wegner said as long as the searches comply with the law  and the dogs 
are available - the sheriff's office  bought its second K-9 Jan. 15 - 
his office would be on  board. "We look at that as a mutual aid 
request," he  said. "When we have the staff and availability, we'll 
certainly help with that."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom