Pubdate: Wed, 23 Jan 2008
Source: Rapid City Journal (SD)
Copyright: 2008 The Rapid City Journal
Contact:  http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1029
Author: Milo Dailey, Belle Fourche Post & Bee
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs)

SCHOOL DISTRICT HIRES DRUG-SNIFFING DOG SERVICE

Belle Fourche Schools Retain Services Of Private Company

The Belle Fourche School District has hired a service  that uses dogs 
to detect drugs on campus, and the  public can watch a demonstration 
of the dogs at work  today.

The demonstrations are at 1 p.m. at the middle school  gym and at 2 
p.m. at the high school gym.

Superintendent Bill O'Dea said the school has  contracted with 
Interquest Detection Canines to make  random, unannounced visits to 
the middle and high  school.

Because the dogs are not law-enforcement trained, he  said, they are 
more like average pets that have learned  to alert their handlers to 
a wide range of drug and  "gunpowder" scents in schools, parking lots 
and other  outdoor areas.

Several area school districts have hired the nationwide  firm to do 
sweeps of parking lots and school buildings  at the same time to 
reduce travel costs for the Montana  franchise of the Houston-based company.

He said the dogs would not "sniff" people, but they are  able to 
detect the scent of illegal drugs on school  desks.

Interquest founders introduced the use of  private-sector dogs in 
schools in the 1970s and have  procedures that ensure the program is 
both effective  and within legal guidelines, O'Dea said.

For more about the company, visit www.interquestk9.com.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom