cannabisnews.com: Doggie Deputy has Real Nose for Drugs





Doggie Deputy has Real Nose for Drugs
Posted by FoM on January 11, 2000 at 11:19:26 PT
By Stachi Haight, Valley Press Staff Writer
Source: Antelope Valley Press 
Happily wagging his tail, Archie, a 2 1/2-year-old black Labrador, visited Highland High School on Monday, but the pooch's visit wasn't for pleasure. Archie is a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy; his visit to the campus was purely business. As the department's narcoticssniffing canine, Archie's job was to sniff out any illegal drugs hidden in students' cars. 
A friendly dog, Archie was brought out to the campus following a rash of drug arrests at the school late last week.A friendly dog, Archie was brought out to the campus following a rash of drug arrests at the school late last week.According to high school and sheriff's officials, seven Highland students were arrested over a twoday period for possession of marijuana.Four of the arrests occurred Wednesday in the main student parking lot near 25th Street West and Avenue P-8. The other arrests were made Thursday on campus.Trained to locate methamphetamines, cocaine, heroin and marijuana, among others, Archie used his sniffer to inspect cars parked in the main student lot.For more than an hour, Archie weaved in and out of parked cars, sniffing for contraband.The only drugs she found were 5 grams of heroin, which deputies planted in a colleague's car to show reporters what Archie could do if he found an illegal substance.The drugs were hidden behind the license plate of a green Ford, and it didn't take long for Archie to discover the heroin. When he did, he started scratching at the license plate.Although Archie's parking lot search otherwise came up empty, his presence on campus was something high school and sheriff's officials wanted students to take note of.The message to Highland and other Antelope Valley Union High School District's students is that Archie could be sniffing around any of the schools at any time during the year, officials said."I think it's great that we can have dog(s) come out to the campus," Assistant Principal Brett Neal said. "The message that I hope students and the community get is that we, as a school, are being proactive in keeping drugs off our campus."This is not the first time high school district officials have employed drug-sniffing dogs for sweeps at area schools.A similar sweep was conducted on the Quartz Hill High campus five years ago. Two narcotics-sniffing dogs inspected book bags, lockers and classrooms at the school near the intersection of 60th Street West and Avenue L.Then-school sheriff's Deputy Ken Scheurn{cq} said the campus was a hot bed for LSD, methamphetamine or "speed," and marijuana.The 1995 search by two Labradors and their handlers yielded no illegal drugs. A search at Highland High School later that same week also turned up nothing.District trustee Darrel Brown, a Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant, said drug sweeps like Monday's are necessary tools to keep campuses safe havens for students."It's 10% of the student population that causes 90% of the problems," Brown said.According to Brown and Neal, the majority of students attending high school want to know that their campuses are drug-free. Some will even aid administrators in catching peers who bring drugs on school grounds, they said."The majority of cases we handle regarding drug possession are tips provided to us by our students. They are the ones who say 'We don't want drugs on our campus,' and will ask for out help when they need it," Neal said.Brown, recently elected to a four-year term on the board, said he hopes fellow board members will support more drug sweeps in the future."If we can approve it, we'll send a letter home to the parents and hold student assemblies to let them know that this can happen again," Brown said.Uploaded January 11, 2000 © 2000 Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, California, USA 
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #1 posted by Mike on January 11, 2000 at 11:48:58 PT:
Hey kids, tricks are for kids
I doubt it will stop anything, they'll just move it across the street or away from school grounds. Other than that, this type of search spreads fear.
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: