RANDOM SWEEPS THE NEW EFFORT TO KEEP MIDDLEBORO SCHOOL CLEAN OF DRUGS

MIDDLEBORO -- High school students were warned Thursday that a police
officer and a drug sniffing dog will be randomly searching for drugs
on school property.

Police officer Jerry J. Donahue and K-9 Caro will check cars, lockers
and classrooms and search students if the dog senses evidence of drugs.

The new random searches will replace the lock-down policy that was in
effect in the past.

Caro can smell marijuana, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, party
drugs or prescription drugs, Donahue said.

Student Resource Officer Robert D. Ferreira Jr. told students that if
drugs are found on them they could be taken off school property in handcuffs.

The school administration warned all the students to keep drugs out of school.

Ferreira, officer Jerry J. Donahue and K-9 Caro, Assistant Principal
Mary Mortensen, School Nurse Linda Landry and Juvenile Probation
Officer Ann MacDonald didn't mince words and laid out the penalties
of bringing drugs to school.

"What if the odor of marijuana is on my clothes?" a student asked.

"Then the administration is going to know you smoke weed," Donahue
said. "Marijuana smoke is marijuana," he said. "You might try and
pass it off as someone else with excuses and stories why the odor is
on you. I don't care, my dog's going to tell if drugs are on you."

"You'll never know when I'm coming," Donahue said.

If he smells drugs, Donahue has the right to search pocketbooks.
Students will be told to leave all their belongings on the desks and
classrooms will be cleared and searched, "If you bring it, we're
going to find it," Donahue said.

MacDonald, a probation officer at Wareham District Court said,
"Probation is not fun." There are visits to a probation officer every
two weeks and urine tests. "You have to go to the bathroom with a
probation officer present."

MacDonald reminded a group of sophomores how exciting it is to get
their license. But she said if they're caught with marijuana, it will
delay their license a year, caught with heroin, 10 years. If alcohol
and drugs are found in a car, "Everyone's getting charged," MacDonald
said. She said even if contraband belongs to a passenger, the driver
will be charged because they are responsible for the car.

"I just hope you listen to me," the school nurse said. She warned
students not to take other people's drugs, "Anything can be laced."
Landry detailed symptoms of drug use; cutting class, frequently
lying, accident prone, mood changes, lashing out. Let someone know,
"They need help and you can be a friend," Landry said.

Mortensen , the assistant principal said expulsion hearings are the
saddest part of her job. Under the law the administration has the
right to expel a student for a week, or forever.

"We're not trying to be hard-asses, but we take it seriously. Be
careful, be smart. I don't want to find them," Donahue said.