Pubdate: Thu, 15 Apr 2010
Source: Amherst Daily News (CN NS)
Copyright: Amherst Daily News 2010
Contact:  http://www.amherstdaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3379
Author: Darrell Cole

SCHOOL DRUG NET WIDENS

Number Of Amherst Regional High Students Under Investigation Rises To 36

AMHERST - The number of students at Amherst Regional High School 
under investigation in relation to a drug bust at the school last 
week has increased to 36.

Amherst Police Deputy Chief Ian Naylor confirmed Wednesday that 
interviews with those arrested last Friday and information gathered 
from the surveillance led to an additional 14 students being investigated.

" There were some people who weren't in school on Friday and were 
identified from the surveillance," Naylor said.

Members of the Cumberland Integrated Street Crime Unit have spent 
most of this week conducting interviews with the students arrested 
during the raid that took place at around noon Friday.

Naylor said the unit, made up of members of the Amherst and 
Springhill police departments and the Cumberland RCMP, is close to 
wrapping up interviews and should be in a position soon to determine 
whether charges will be laid.

The unit, he said, is attempting to focus on the positive and part of 
that is trying to avoid laying charges where possible. Instead, 
officers are looking at alternate measures such as restorative justice.

" Youth make mistakes just like everyone else. The important thing is 
to learn from them," Naylor said. "It's not always about punishment, 
especially when you're dealing with young people."

Though some in the community have been asking whether police were too 
heavy handed in their approach or could have singled out some of the 
main users, Naylor said it's not up to police to pick and choose.

" We have to be consistent and we have to be fair," Naylor said.

Board spokeswoman Carolyn Pierce said school officials are continuing 
to cooperate with police and have held discussions with the school's 
advisory council and student leaders.

While shocked at what occurred, Pierce said people should not read 
too much into the numbers or look at Amherst Regional as a bad school.

"Even one is too many and certainly we don't want our students coming 
to school under the influence of drugs. It's not beneficial for them, 
for the other students or the teachers, but when you look at the 
number, the 22 out of 737 students at that school, it represents 
about three per cent of the school population," said Pierce.

Considering a provincial study a couple of years ago suggested that 
in 2007 as many as 30 per cent of students in Grades 7, 9, 10 and 12 
had used marijuana, the number is well below that threshold.

The school and the board are continuing to monitor the situation and 
are reviewing what took place and what can be done to prevent if from 
happening again.

" We are always concerned when there are drugs in the school," Pierce 
said, adding drug awareness and abuse prevention are part of the 
curriculum and student activities such as Students Against 
Destructive Decisions.

The school will continue to have an increased police presence during 
transition times as well as in the morning and at lunchtime.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart