STUDENTS ASK SCHOOL TO SWEEP FOR DRUGS

Marijuana Found In Worthington Police'S Search Of Cars In Parking Lot

Drug-sniffing dogs helped police confiscate marijuana and related
paraphernalia yesterday morning from a handful of student vehicles at
Thomas Worthington High School.

The drug sweep was conducted at the request of the administration and
students, Worthington police said.

"We had had several drug-related incidents over at the school," Sgt.
John Slaughter said. "The school thought it was a good idea. They
discussed it apparently with the student council, had meetings with
them and came to the conclusion this might be a good idea."

No criminal charges were filed yesterday, but could come later,
Slaughter said. Police were still sifting through the evidence and
did not have an amount of drugs seized.

"We haven't even discussed specifically charging anyone at this point
in time," Slaughter said. "We are going to go back and review all the
information we have and take a look at what we have got, talk to
everybody involved and go from there."

Students and teachers were confined to classrooms as police and K-9
units swept the high-school parking lots about 8:45 a.m.

Dogs alerted police to 13 vehicles, out of about 450, in the parking
lots.

The owners of all but one of those vehicles allowed police to conduct
searches. Police impounded the other vehicle and planned to obtain a
warrant to search it.

Marijuana, drug paraphernalia, drug sales and distribution equipment,
and a knife were seized from six of the searched vehicles.

Students who are linked to the vehicles that contained drugs will
face discipline from the school, a district spokeswoman said.

"The school discipline policy would suggest there will be
suspensions," Vicki Gnezda said.

"Students did suggest to the principal that this would be an
appropriate activity given an increase in (drug and alcohol)
incidents" at the school, she said.