Pubdate: Fri, 08 Feb 2008
Source: Sherwood Park News (CN AB)
Copyright: 2008 Sherwood Park News
Contact: http://cgi.bowesonline.com/pedro.php?id=22&x=contact
Website: http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1730
Author: Michael Simpson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs)

PERIODIC POOCH PATROL A POSITIVE PLAN

Handler And Dog Allowed To Randomly Patrol School Halls For Drugs 
While Kids In Class

People named Attila historically have been bad news bears when they 
come into the neighbourhood.

If you're a drug dealer or user bringing your junk to a local school, 
that story hasn't changed much.

Attila Toldy and his police dog, Riff, have been given the go-ahead 
to start making random rounds at Elk Island Catholic School's (EICS) 
high schools within Strathcona County while kids are in class and out 
of the halls. Riff's powerful nose can sniff out crack, cocaine, 
psilocybin (magic mushrooms), marijuana and any other form of drug 
that police want him to.

Toldy recently gave a quick demonstration to administrators at an 
EICS administrators meeting on Tuesday. Inside the room were some 
pads brushed with traces of crack-cocaine and mushroom dust. As Toldy 
guided Riff through the confined room the dog quickly located the 
drugs with a series of rapid sniffs, taking in and processing huge 
quantities of air in milliseconds.

"Dr. Diachuk has been very supportive of the program," Toldy said. 
"Searching for narcotics is only a small profile that Riff covers. 
He's not strictly a drug dog, he can also search for evidence, 
people, and provide protection against criminals as well."

With the onset of Riff's sporadic, random appearances at high schools 
in the area, parents have the added assurance that police and school 
officials are working together to provide the safest learning 
environment possible for students.

"This supplements what we're already doing in schools through our 
school resource officer program," RCMP Cpl. Darren Anderson said. 
"Drug dogs in schools have been looked at for some time, but schools 
had to have a set policy in place."

In addition to sniffing lockers in hallways, Riff also accompanies 
Toldy to presentations to classes if a school requests them. Any 
drugs found do not immediately mean a student is under arrest, 
Anderson said. "If there were drugs discovered in a locker we would 
allow it to be handled at a school level unless there was a 
significant amount; that would call for an investigation."

While Toldy and his partner currently have the green light to make 
periodic searches at EICS high schools, details are being finalized 
to allow them to do the same within public high schools as well.

Both EICS board chair Tony Sykora and superintendent Chris Diachuk 
both told the News that they're pleased to have the added service in 
their schools.

"Although it hasn't been used extensively at this point, Riff and 
Attila can be used very positively as deterrents," Sykora said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom