SHERIFF FAVORS RANDOM DRUG TESTING

Idea Follows News Of Drug Ring Targeting Scottsdale Students

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Saturday that he believes all high
school and middle school students should be randomly tested for drug use,
this following the infiltration of a Mexican heroin ring that targeted
mostly Scottsdale high school students.

"I'm surprised by the extent of heroin use," Arpaio said as a task force of
detectives and posse members went door to door to talk to parents of
students who are suspected of purchasing heroin.

Arpaio said the goal behind the random testing would be to get students
into treatment, but the idea was met with skepticism. advertisement

"I'd love to do it if we could," state Superintendent of Public Instruction
Tom Horne said Saturday.

When Horne served on the Paradise Valley School Board, random drug testing
was implemented for athletes and other students in extracurricular activities.

However, it was overturned by a federal court judge in Phoenix after the
district was sued by the Arizona Civil Liberties Union. The 9th Circuit
Court of Appeals later reinstated the testing, but limited it to students
involved in voluntary activities like sports.

Eleanor Eisenberg, executive director of the Arizona Civil Liberties Union,
said a new attempt at testing won't fly.

"If they start implementing random testing for all students, we'll be back
in court," Eisenberg said.

Sheriff's officials contacted 315 households Saturday, mainly in Scottsdale
but also in Chandler, south Phoenix, north Phoenix, Cave Creek, Mesa, Queen
Creek and parts of the West Valley. Parents were given packets of
information on treatment centers and drug-abuse counseling that is available.

The canvass program resulted from an eight-month probe spearheaded by the
Sheriff's Office into a suspected heroin ring that was selling to students
via cellphones. Sheriff's detectives subpoenaed the cellphones of the 11
suspected dealers and analyzed more than 160,000 phone calls. They
identified 581 households where multiple calls had been made.

Lt. Paul Chagolla, a sheriff's spokesman, said records that would provide
more details about the case would be made available this week.

Sheriff's authorities said they didn't know what to expect when they began
knocking on doors early Saturday morning. But at the end of the day, they
were pleased with the cooperation of most parents.

Sheriff's Detective Al Manza said he contacted the father of a former
Saguaro High School student. The father said he suspected his son's
problems but could never confirm them.

"With tears in his eyes, the father thanked me and said it's better to be
told about it this way than hear he's been arrested," Manza said.

Deputy Brian Eilola said the mother of another former Scottsdale high
school student didn't want to talk at first until she was shown the
drug-counseling pamphlets.

"She said we were two years too late, but she agreed to show the pamphlets
to other students and become a community advocate," Eilola said.

Detective Marty Overton said one father was a little confused when he
showed up because another deputy had been there earlier.

"Turned out I was there for his other son," Overton said.

Apparently some of the parents, following initial contact, called the
sheriff's command center to get more information on what they could do to
help their children.

The households of an additional 146 students were also on the canvass list.
But these addresses originated from undercover sources rather than cellphones.

Arpaio said this should be a wake-up call for parents who think drug abuse
is something that goes on only along Van Buren Street. He believes
Scottsdale was targeted because of its reputation for affluence.

The door-to-door canvassing will continue today. In addition, all of the
727 households will receive follow-up letters from the Sheriff's Office.