CANINES USED TO DETER CONTRABAND IN SCHOOLS

A 15-year-old sophomore at Ola High School, had his
first encounter with illegal drugs when he was 13 years old. Then a
Clayton County middle schooler, he said he declined offers from the
19- and 20-year-olds in his neighborhood to use drugs.

He and others he knows have had similar experiences, even
in school.

In the last couple of years both Henry and Clayton county school
systems have implemented programs in their high schools to decrease
experiences like his.

Henry County Schools has contracted with contraband detection and
drug dog services provider, Interquest Detection Canines, to help
deter illegal activities in schools.

Interquest was first contracted by Henry County Schools three years
ago to implement a $25,200 substance abuse prevention program in
which canine trainer Ashley Marratt and her drug-detection dogs would
conduct random, unannounced searches at Henry's high schools.

Marratt, who is also the president of Interquest Detection Canines of
Georgia, said that her dogs are trained to detect four types of
contraband: guns and ammunition, alcoholic beverages, prescription
and over-the-counter medication, and illegal drugs.

Throughout the week, Marratt has conducted demonstrations at each of
Henry County's high schools.

She was aided by her 60-pound white and chocolate English Springer
Spaniel named Jordy, who quickly steals Marratt's spotlight as he
demonstrates how he goes about sniffing for contraband.

"Jordy is the reason to say no," Marratt said as she spoke to the new
freshman class at Ola High on Wednesday, the first time the students
have ever been introduced to the program.

The program serves schools across the country and has about 120
working dogs who look more like house pets than drug dogs.

The dogs still are capable of finding contraband, according to
Marratt, who added that her dogs tend to make students much more
comfortable than drug dogs traditionally used in law
enforcement.

"When we come to your school we don't want you to be intimidated,"
she said. "My job is to help you make a better decision when you come
to school."

Last year, a total of 256 alerts were made in the 142 visits to the
county's seven high schools -- six alerts for illicit drugs, 15 for
alcohol, 15 for gunpowder, 62 for medication, 76 for residual odors
and 72 unknown scents.

"Although each alert does not necessarily mean a student is in
possession of something prohibited at school, many of the alerts
helped to substantiate charges against students and helped to
successfully prosecute the misbehavior," said Preston Malcom, the
assistant superintendent of administrative services.

Ola teacher Melodie Thurston, formerly of Eagle's Landing High
School, said she believes the program has been a deterrent for
students who might otherwise bring contraband to school.

"I think it's a good idea to have them in the schools," Thurston
said. "There is the drug issue out there and this program keeps the
students from bringing it into our schools."

She said that teachers and administrators are not immune to the
program's random searches but that she too is included in the
classroom and parking lot searches by virtue of being at the school.

"It's a very non-invasive program," Thurston said. "The kids know
that he's here and that they shouldn't try it -- it's to make them
think before they act."

She added that the program helps make her job a little easier.

At least, the program could make Henry County Sheriff's Deputy Cindy
Hogeland's job little easier. Hogeland is the school resource officer
at Ola.

"(But) hopefully, we won't have the problem period, and we won't need
the dog," she said.