SCHOOLS LET THE DOGS SNIFF

Cowichan school board wants RCMP to search school lockers for drugs,
but must first develop a protocol that is fair to police, parents,
staff and students.

The board voted six-two Wednesday night to hammer out the details of
an agreement with local RCMP that would allow Const. Al Hamilton and
his German shepherd drug dog Gator to sniff lockers for contraband.

"It is a good idea," said Trustee Gary Gunderson. "Illegal drugs have
no place in our schools. The use of drugs has been going on for quite
some time and the perpetrators have been doing it with impunity."

The deal will likely go ahead only if the public supports the notion,
if students are notified prior to searches and if police can
recommend charges when contraband is seized.

Trustee Janice Macalister said police should take a hard-line
approach by charging students caught with drugs.

"If this saves one child in the Valley it's worth it," she said.

Two trustees voted against the idea.

James Bell said it would be easy for students to plant drugs in each
other's lockers.

"One single cannabis cigarette will give them a record. It will hang
over them for the rest of their lives," he said. "This is a matter
that must be handled by the school and the parents, not the RCMP."

Trustee Peter Sussman also expressed concern the wrong people could
be blamed - specifically when students share lockers.

"I see that as a real sticky wicket," he said. "The risks are too
great when you allow this type of thing to be done."

School superintendent Brian Hoole will work with RCMP to develop the
protocol, but reaching agreement may be difficult.

Although police are high on the idea, they probably won't be willing
to invest time unless they can recommend charges against perpetrators
- - something that may not sit well with some administrators.

"I believe that we should be advising the school authorities we will
be obtaining search warrants as required and charging anyone and
everyone if narcotics are detected by the Police Dog Service," wrote
Cpl. Curtis Horton, in a RCMP internal-memo. "To do otherwise is to
send (a) less-than-significant message to the student body that
narcotics enforcement is not taken seriously."

Even if the local dog team is allowed to search schools and prosecute
offenders, nobody can say for sure how productive the searches would
be.

"Unfortunately, to our knowledge, no empirical evidence exists to
suggest that the use of drug-sniffing dogs is effective against the
influx of drugs into schools," wrote school liaison Const. Mike
Field, in a letter to Hoole. "Common sense would dictate that, even
the most ardent user might think twice about keeping his stash at the
school knowing the dog might reveal it's location."

If police were to search Cowichan schools, students would likely be
notified in advance, allowing them time to remove drugs from their
lockers.

But Gator, a highly-trained police dog, is capable of picking up
scents that have been lingering for days, meaning police could invest
hours seeking search warrants and opening lockers only to find the
perpetrators have removed the contraband.

When police do find drugs they must walk a fine line to ensure they
don't violate students' Charter rights - legalities the RCMP is
constantly trying to interpret.

School authorities have the legal right to search lockers without
police authorization, but when they call police, a warrant must be
obtained.

If police earch a locker without a warrant, there is danger the
courts will rule the search illegal.