MYFOXNY.COM – Drug-sniffing dogs may become the norm in one Long Island school district. Sag Harbor School District is considering a new policy to use the dogs to sniff out lockers.
The newest weapon that could soon be used to fight drugs is named Max. He is one of five dogs in the K-9 unit of the Suffolk County Police Department.
http://liarcatchers.com/drugdogsweeps.html
“Students can pretty much bring drugs and put them in their locker without much chance of them being detected,” Inspector Stuart Cameron said. “But by introducing narcotic detection dog for random sweeps there is a much better chance now they may actually get caught.”
The K-9 unit has been in operation for 47 years, Cameron said. But just recently the dogs have been used in other area school districts as anti-drug crusaders.
“One of the things that prompted us was a strong resurgence of heroin in schools,” Cameron said. “That really prompted us to reevaluate what we are doing sand to use every potential tool in the tool box to fight drugs.”
School officials invite the unit into the school. The unit is announced and then the four-legged detectives get to work while kids are in class.
“We require schools that want to participate to send a letter home,” Cameron said. “And they can be subject to search without notice.”
In a recent survey, one long island high school reported that 70 percent of students say they use drugs or alcohol.
School officials and parents hope the drug sniffing dogs will help make a difference.
“I don’t see a problem with it at all kids should not be bringing drugs to school,” one mother said. “And hopefully deter them from doing so.”
The police department brings the dogs in for free.
The school board is scheduled to vote on the measure February 6.
