POLICE CLEARLY WERE OUT OF LINE

We hope state Attorney General Henry McMaster will give due attention
to the case of the drug sweep at Stratford High School in Goose Creek.
A reprimand from McMaster might help prevent such highly questionable
police behavior from occurring at other schools in the state. The case
was passed to McMaster by Prosecutor Ralph Hoisington, who asked the
attorney general to review the 200-page report submitted by the State
Law Enforcement Division. Hoisington also asked SLED to share the
results of its investigation with the U.S. attorney's office and FBI
to determine whether federal criminal violations occurred in the Nov.
5 search.

Fortunately, a portion of the search was videotaped by a surveillance
camera at the school and by a member of the police department. The
tapes show officers sealing off a hallway at the school and searching
students with a drug-sniffing dog. Two officers can be seen with their
guns drawn. Another orders students to "get on the ground!"

During the sweep, police checked 107 students and briefly restrained
about a dozen. Some were handcuffed.

No drugs were found.

Goose Creek Department officials since have conceded that the raid
violated department policy. Guns should not have been drawn, and dogs
generally are not used until students have been evacuated from the
scene.

This incident has provoked outrage nationwide, and for good reason.
Police conduct clearly was over the top, and officers are fortunate no
students were shot or otherwise injured.

In this case, the biggest threat to law and order was the police
themselves. We hope McMaster will waste no time in reviewing this case.