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| Drug sweeps at CHS SHS | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 8 2007, 01:24 PM (2,263 Views) | |
| LPS Reformer | Dec 8 2007, 01:24 PM Post #1 |
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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Link Drug-sniffing dogs find 'very little' in police sweep at Churchill By Rebecca Jones Drug-sniffing dogs found traces of marijuana during a search of Churchill High School this morning. Five drug dogs went through the 2,100-student high school’s locker rooms, halls and student parking lot. ADVERTISEMENT One pipe that had been used for smoking marijuana was found in a student’s locker, said Principal Joe Anderson. Officers also found marijuana residue in two students’ cars, he said. There were no arrests and “no quantities” of drugs found, he said. “I’m pretty pleased with the fact that we found very little,” Anderson said. However, the students who were found to be in possession are facing school suspensions, most likely in the range of three to five days for paraphernalia possession, Anderson said. Possession of marijuana calls for a seven to 10 day suspension, he said. The dogs did not have contact with students, who were in class at the time. The sweep lasted about one and a half hours. Churchill staff members were informed that a search would take place before the holidays, but administrators kept the exact date secret, Anderson said. The surprise raid was the first time drug-sniffing dogs have been through Livonia Public Schools, said Mark Schultz, public safety administrator for the district. “The times are changing enough that we have to do some of these things for school safety,” Schultz said. He said the amount found was minimal for a first-time drug sweep. Stevenson and Franklin high schools will also be searched, and Churchill administrators plan at least another drug sweep this school year, Anderson said. Middle school drug sweeps may be added in the future, Schultz said. rrjones@hometownlife.com | (734) 953-2054 |
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“Child Abuse” means different things to different people.... ----Randy Liepa 8/9/12 | |
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| On The Go | Dec 9 2007, 01:56 PM Post #2 |
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My son told me that some of the kids at Churchill were saying that the dogs would not find anything because those that use carry the drugs with them. If so, then wouldn't that make the search pretty ineffective? |
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| Al Beabak | Dec 9 2007, 03:49 PM Post #3 |
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If that is the case, and law enforcement / LPS Security is aware of that, it would make sense to have the sweeps include a visit to the classrooms maybe? |
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| Renee Chesney | Dec 9 2007, 06:22 PM Post #4 |
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While logicially that makes sense, how about the kids who are deathly afraid of dogs or possibly extremely allergic? |
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| Queen of Hearts | Dec 9 2007, 06:48 PM Post #5 |
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While I agree that only searching lockers probably won't catch the majority of those with illegal drugs on campus, I think having dogs in the classroom would create pandemonium. I'm not sure how a search like that could be conducted in an orderly way. I don't think the teachers would appreciate the interruption of instructional time, either. |
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| Sourapples | Dec 9 2007, 07:29 PM Post #6 |
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Not sure of the legalities of it either? I'm sure the ACLU would jump on that one! |
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| LPS Reformer | Dec 9 2007, 09:47 PM Post #7 |
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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Pandemonium? How? And don't you think that the teachers would find drugs in the classroom a little more disruptive than a dog? |
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“Child Abuse” means different things to different people.... ----Randy Liepa 8/9/12 | |
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| Queen of Hearts | Dec 9 2007, 09:53 PM Post #8 |
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I don't advocate bringing drugs to school or using them at all, but the fact is that drugs in student's pockets are not interfering with instructional time in the same way bringing dogs in for a search would. |
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| LPS Reformer | Dec 9 2007, 10:17 PM Post #9 |
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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And what are you expecting the dogs would do? And how would that lead to Pandemonium? |
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“Child Abuse” means different things to different people.... ----Randy Liepa 8/9/12 | |
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| Queen of Hearts | Dec 9 2007, 10:26 PM Post #10 |
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The dogs bark very loudly when they find what they have been trained to look for. That would cause a scene in the classroom. Some of the kids would definitely be very upset and scared, and the teachers would have a hard time restoring a proper learning environment. |
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| LPS Reformer | Dec 9 2007, 10:34 PM Post #11 |
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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You underestimate our kids, and our teachers. PS I was under the impression that most drug dogs just sat down to signal. Were did you get the information that they have been trained to bark loudly? |
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“Child Abuse” means different things to different people.... ----Randy Liepa 8/9/12 | |
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| Queen of Hearts | Dec 9 2007, 10:35 PM Post #12 |
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Students at CHS knew about the search because they could hear the dogs barking. |
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| LPS Reformer | Dec 9 2007, 10:40 PM Post #13 |
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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And from this, you determined that "barking loudly" was the signal they were trained to use? If you were training a dog to search for drugs, explosives, etc. why in the world would you want the dog to cause a disturbance? It makes no sense. |
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“Child Abuse” means different things to different people.... ----Randy Liepa 8/9/12 | |
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| LPS Reformer | Dec 9 2007, 10:43 PM Post #14 |
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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Parents support drug sniffing dog proposal BY CHRISTINE LAYOUS LAHAINA – Lahainaluna High School’s Parent Information Night on Monday ended with 100 percent of the parents attending in full support of the drug sniffing dog proposal. The commotion started this year when Lahaina Intermediate School Principal Marsha Nakamura was approached with the idea of bringing in a drug sniffing dog to search the hilly campus for hidden drugs. Nakamura brought the idea to Lahainaluna Principal Michael Nakano. He agreed, since he wanted to sweep the campus for years. “This is not a new idea,” he said. “We’ve thought about this years ago but there were road blocks, so you say, ’Let’s just wait.’ ” Whitney White, Interquest Detection Canines of Hawaii owner and operator, is the one who brings in the dark golden retriever to sniff out illegal substances. White brought in her dog, Custer, to the information night, and at first parents were defensive. After White showed a DVD demonstrating the company’s procedures and policies, Custer did a mini-presentation where he found a bottle of vodka. He sat down , giving the signal that an illegal substance is in the bag. His soft presence wooed the parents. The amount that White would charge was also discussed, and to the delight of parents it’s not expensive. White pinned the cost at around only $300 a month. So this time, both principals are not backing down because parents love this idea even more than the faculty. “There have been no complaints,” Nakano said. “Parents are telling us to go for it.” The proposal must still be approved by the Board of Education and the State Attorney General’s Office. Some parents want it to begin immediately. “They need to implement this right away,” said Paula Loewen, whose son is a freshman at the school. “I’m getting an education about high school,” she said. “In school, (drugs) can’t be tolerated.” Marissa Ugale, a School Community Council board member, said she wouldn’t mind paying for it herself for a couple of months if the school’s budget cannot afford it. “I love it,” she said quickly. “I think it’s great. Let’s put up the money and go for it.” Nakano hopes that bringing in the canine would help deter people from hiding drugs on campus. “The issue is school security – we’re not looking to bust students,” he stressed. He has witnessed students looking in the bushes, searching for something. When confronted, they say they were looking for a pencil and walk away from the area. “We want to be serious about keeping our students safe,” he said. “And I want to follow the proper channels.” School counselor Eric Balinbin agrees that bringing in the dog will have a deterrent affect. “If they know that they might get caught, they won’t bring it,” he said. Balinbin pins the drug problem on the difficult economic circumstances that parents in Maui are facing. “Parents have two jobs each and a lot of kids go unsupervised,” said Balinbin. Nakano believes that no matter how bad the circumstances are, the proposal will even the playing field for those who want to rid the school of drugs. “To get drugs is easy,” said Nakano. Getting rid of them is not. |
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“Child Abuse” means different things to different people.... ----Randy Liepa 8/9/12 | |
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| puppylover6464 | Dec 9 2007, 11:09 PM Post #15 |
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i go to CHS, and during the search, from my classroom door window, we saw (and heard) the dogs out in the hallway, barking at a locker. the officials then proceeded to open the locker and those around it, and search them. so i think they do bark when they find something. |
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| D2ns | Dec 10 2007, 05:23 PM Post #16 |
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The topic of drug sniffing dogs was discussed at the SOYTF meetings. Ridding the schools of drugs helps to save our childrens' lives. This search has been a long time coming. Having drug sniffing dogs at schools doesn't necessarily mean there is an increase in drug usage, only that we've realized the benefits. |
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| D2ns | Dec 10 2007, 05:28 PM Post #17 |
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Lahaina school comes up clean in drug sniffing By CLAUDINE SAN NICOLAS, Staff Writer LAHAINA – The Lahaina Intermediate School campus came up “clean” in its first-ever, drug-sniffing dog search, according to Principal Marsha Nakamura. “The dog did not indicate anything, and I was very happy about that,” Nakamura said about an unannounced search conducted Feb. 7 at her campus on Lahainaluna Road. Kalama Intermediate School in Makawao was the first Hawaii public school to participate in the pilot canine drug search program when it welcomed Interquest Detection Canines of Hawaii on to its campus last month. Lahaina Intermediate and Lahainaluna High School are also participating pilot schools in the program. Officials at Lahaina Intermediate and Lahainaluna have been talking about the use of drug-sniffing dogs for more than a year. Nakamura held a student assembly about the dog shortly before the 2006 Christmas break, but it wasn’t until earlier this month that her school received official approval from the state Attorney General’s Office for its plan to conduct the canine searches. Nakamura wasted no time in calling on Interquest Detection Canines owner and operator Whitney White, and her golden retriever, Custer, to do the first search. White’s nonprofit organization currently works in two private schools on Oahu and at several hotels and businesses on Maui. Lahaina Intermediate joined Kalama in seeking to determine if there is a problem that school officials need to address. The Lahaina Intermediate search was done during school hours with students in the classrooms while the dog sniffed outside through restrooms, landscaping, school boundaries and the campus fence line. “At least I know there is a clean environment for the kids,” Nakamura said Tuesday. She said police were called earlier this year for multiple cases involving students caught with drugs and alcohol in their possession on campus. Like Kalama Principal John Costales, Nakamura said she does not believe students at her school are any more involved in substance abuse cases than at other public school campuses. However, both principals said they welcomed the program on their campuses as a deterrent to drug and alcohol abuse. Lahainaluna High School Principal Mike Nakano has scheduled a drug-sniffing dog demonstration for his students for Feb. 21. A parent meeting will also be held that day at 5:30 p.m. He said he hopes to have the first unannounced dog search shortly after the briefings with students and parents. Nakano said he found parents to be very supportive last November during an initial meeting on the use of the drug-sniffing dog. “They were willing to pay for it,” he said. Interquest Detection Canines of Hawaii, a nonprofit organization, has received community contributions to support the searches in the public schools. To make a tax-deductible donation, call 281-7075. February 14, 2007 |
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| D2ns | Dec 10 2007, 05:36 PM Post #18 |
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Friday, November 2, 2007 Hawaii school board favors locker searches By Loren Moreno Advertiser Staff Writer The state Board of Education last night moved a step closer toward approving a controversial proposal to allow suspicionless searches of student lockers on public school campuses solely at the discretion of principals and school administrators. The board voted 11-1 to allow locker searches "with or without cause," but added a clause that said searches may not be discriminatory. The policy would take effect following public hearings and a final board vote and if approved by Gov. Linda Lingle. Last night's decision at the board's meeting on Moloka'i reversed an earlier decision by a board committee to allow searches of student lockers only if there is suspicion of contraband, such as weapons or drugs. Meanwhile, as a part of the same vote, the board approved the presence of drug-sniffing dogs on school campuses as a way to detect and deter illegal drugs. The decision was part of the board's approval of sweeping revisions to Chapter 19, the state law governing student conduct and discipline. The board wrestled for months mainly over a small section of the statute that outlines policy on search and seizures. Last night the board amended the policy to state that locker searches would be allowed "anytime with or without cause, provided that such a search is not because of the student's race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex (including gender identity and expression), religion, disability or sexual orientation." The lone "no" vote was cast by board member Kim Coco Iwamoto. Board member Cec Heftel did not attend the meeting. Over the past several months, board members were split between those who supported widening the search and seizure powers of school administrators and those who were worried about infringing upon student privacy rights. "I think we all don't want drugs on campus, but we're divided about how we should go about doing it," said board Chairwoman Karen Knudsen, who had reservations about suspicionless locker searches. Last month, during a meeting of the special programs committee, Knudsen proposed removing the "without reason or cause" language from the policy in order to preserve student privacy rights. Her motion was supported in committee in a 5-4 vote. "I didn't like 'without cause' and what that would imply," Knudsen said. "I think there are deep philosophical differences on this issue." The disciplinary code already allows principals to search lockers if they suspect the health and safety of students are in danger. However, some board officials said the widened searches would give principals the authority they need to keep drugs and weapons out of schools. Opponents, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i, argued the proposed rules would be an undue intrusion on student privacy. Board of Education member Mary Cochran, the most vocal supporter of the drug-detection canines and locker searches, said the board has been advised by the state attorney general's office to approve the "without reason or cause" searches of lockers. "It's nice to talk about privacy rights and suspicion, but the reality is, when you get to campuses and talk to kids and principals, drugs are there," Cochran said. Cochran admitted that the board has been warned by the ACLU and other legal experts that approval of the suspicionless locker searches could be an invitation for lawsuits. "We probably will be tested, but with the advice of counsel — the attorney general's office, actually — they say it is defendable. They are ready to defend that language," she said. Board members are generally united on the presence of drug-sniffing dogs on school campuses. In fact, earlier this year, three Maui district schools — Lahainaluna High School, Lahaina Intermediate School and Lana'i High & Elementary School — participated in a pilot program in which specially trained dogs were used to detect drugs, alcohol and guns. Two O'ahu private schools, Saint Louis and Academy of the Pacific, have also used drug-sniffing dogs for several years. Whitney White, owner of Interquest Detection Canines of Hawaii, the private company that conducted the dog searches as a part of the pilot project, has appeared several times before board members to urge her support of the dog proposal. The board recently, as a part of its fiscal year 2008-2009 supplemental budget, requested $300,000 from the state Legislature to fund a "drug prevention program utilizing drug-sniffing dogs." comments are posted on this article |
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| D2ns | Feb 20 2008, 07:34 PM Post #19 |
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Sent from SHS today Februay 20, 2008 Dear Stevenson Parents, Here is some information related to the K-9 sweep that took place today at Stevenson. The drug sweep utilized eight dogs from neighboring police departments. The interior of the building was searched for approximately thirty minutes. The dogs hit on several lockers, one of which one contained a small amount of marijuana and a pipe used to smoke the marijuana. Other positive hits, which did not turn up any illegal substances, are an indication that the scent was present in that general area within the last 48 hours or so. In addition, the dogs hit on four student cars. Each of the cars was searched by a school administrator and police officer in the presence of the student. No illegal substances were found in any of the vehicles. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Mr. Archibald |
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| REB84 | Feb 20 2008, 08:21 PM Post #20 |
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How much did this sweep cost our cash strapped district? Do these results indicate a serious problem that warrants such an investment? |
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