DRUG SWEEP USED AS DETERRENCE AT THUNDERRIDGE HIGH

HIGHLANDS RANCH - Sheriff's deputies with drug-sniffing dogs swept through
ThunderRidge High School on Monday, beginning a program initiated by the
school district. The sweep found nothing to alert the dogs around student
lockers at the 1,550-student school. But authorities were investigating
nine vehicles in the parking lot, principal Mike Lynch said.

The dog "alerts" did not surprise many ThunderRidge students.

Rebecca Dunlap, a 16-year-old junior, was surprised that only nine vehicles
had turned up alerts, but said "if kids are stupid enough to bring drugs to
school, they deserve to be caught."

Said sophomore Erica Hooker, 15, "Searches like this do invade privacy, but
it's sad that we've reached the point where they're necessary."

"I don't like it, but I guess it's necessary," said junior Mike Noyce, 17.

Freshman Bob Naegele, 15, worried that "kids name their friends, and then
they have their lockers and backpacks searched. How far does it go?"

ThunderRidge is not being singled out, but was the first of Douglas
County's six high schools to get a pre-arranged visit - known to school
administrators but not to students - by officers and drug-sniffing dogs.

District director of high school education Ray Smith said the pro-active
program had been planned since last year.

"Our business is education, not law enforcement," he said. "And our main
goal is to send a strong message that deters drugs on our school campuses.
Apprehending offenders is secondary."