GATINEAU SCHOOLS ASKED POLICE TO DEAL WITH DRUGS, PRINCIPAL
SAYS

Officers Have Arrested Dozens Since Mid-March

The arrests of nearly 40 people, most of them students, in a series of
drug raids at Gatineau high schools in the past month were in response
to school and community requests for help in dealing with drug use in
schools, according to police and a principal who asked for the force's
help.

On March 15, five students at Ecole secondaire du Versant were
arrested and charged for using marijuana, while another student was
arrested for selling cigarettes. About a week later, police arrested
14 teenagers during the lunch hour near Polyvalente Nicolas-Gatineau
and charged them with drug-related offences. This month, police
arrested three students during lunchtime near Philemon Wright High
School and charged them with drug-related offences.

And last Thursday police made more drug-related arrests near a
Gatineau high school, Ecole secondaire Mont-Bleu, during lunch. Other
schools targeted by police were Ecole secondaire Le Carrefour and
Ecole secondaire de l'Ile.

Terry Kharyati, Philemon Wright's principal, said he had expressed
concerns to Gatineau police about student drug use and asked for their
help in dealing with the issue. "We worked very close with them," Mr.
Kharyati said.

Brock Sullivan, a 17-year-old Philemon Wright student, said that
although he smokes marijuana, he applauds the principal's
determination to drive marijuana use from school.

"Mr. K's really cleaning it up," Brock said, adding the principal gave
a tough opening speech to students at the school, warning that drug
use would not be tolerated. "It's keeping it out of the hands of
little kids."