TRUSTEE BACKS PROPOSAL FOR LOCKER SEARCHES

A Kamloops-Thompson school trustee said students shouldn't be alarmed by a
proposal to search lockers for drugs or weapons.

"I know there is some controversy there with some people feeling it's an
invasion of privacy and personal freedoms. The fact is we have a
responsibility as a district to ensure our schools are safe," said Trustee
Kim Van Tine.

Van Tine raised the issue of locker searches Monday at the board's regular
meeting.

He wants the board to adopt a policy allowing teachers and officials to
search lockers if students are suspected of contraband, including drugs and
weapons. The district already has the authority to search school property
but Van Tine wants a policy in place just in case.

Kamloops secondary school has brought in drug-sniffing dogs for years as a
means of tracking illegal substances. "It's nothing new. It's done after
school hours when there's no students around and it's not obtrusive at
all," said principal Tom Elliott.

"Kids have drugs in school, we know that. We want kids to know we'll do
everything possible to stop the drugs from coming into the school."

School officials brought in a drug-sniffing dog last February but didn't
need to resort to searching any lockers as the dog found no contraband.

Elliott said he spoke to students informally Tuesday and was told drug use
is down this year compared to last. He attributed the decline to the threat
of retaliation by the school.

"Our lockers are owned by the school and loaned to students. It's not a
public building, it's a private building," he said.

He said students he spoke to seemed OK with the idea of a drug-dog being
brought randomly into the building.