POLICE WILL SEARCH PARKED CARS FOR DRUGS

Sheriff Say Initiative Is 'Heavy Handed' But Necessary

CALDWELL -- Canyon County is losing the war against drugs, Sheriff George
Nourse said, preparing to launch a heavy handed assault on drug users and
dealers.

Ten drug dogs, partnered with City-County Narcotics Unit officers, will
search for illegal drugs in public parking lots. That could include local
shopping centers and event centers.

Community reaction is mixed. The county prosecutor praises the plan, but
the public defender blasts it. And some local business managers are not
convinced the idea is a good one.

Nourse said the plan is the most heavy-handed law enforcement approach he
has ever launched, but it is necessary. Illegal drugs are linked directly
and indirectly to nearly all crime in the county, Nourse said.

Canyon County Public Defender Klaus Wiebe vehemently opposes the idea.

"Every person in Canyon County should be outraged by this abuse of our
constitutional right to privacy by the police," Wiebe said. "The specter of
armed and uniformed police with German Shepherd dogs roaming through public
parking lots should frighten all of us into re-examining our commitment to
the principles this country has always stood for."

"We will fight this not only as lawyers, but also as freedom loving
Americans," Wiebe said.

Canyon County Prosecutor David Young, on the other hand, enthusiastically
supports Nourse's proposal.

"It's a great idea," Young said, "because we want to make it known that
Canyon County is a dangerous place for criminals to have drugs. We want to
interrupt the flow of drugs as much as possible."

Nourse told Caldwell Rotarians Wednesday that the effort should result in
many misdemeanor arrests "up to 100 a month" in the beginning.

Canine olfactory senses are so keen that they can smell drugs without
gaining access to a vehicle, which will make the parking-lot patrols
effective, Nourse said.

If a dog indicates that drugs are in a car, an investigator will watch the
vehicle and wait for the driver to leave the parking lot, Nourse said. The
investigator will stop the driver before continuing the investigation. The
dog will be allowed to search the vehicle more thoroughly to find illegal
drugs or determine if the vehicle had been used to transport drugs.

He plans to cite the offenders, fingerprint them and take their photos.
Nourse hopes judges will order the offenders to seek treatment, pay a fine
and perform community service at their own expense. It will be essential
for officers to use good judgment in making arrests, he said, noting that
there may be times that someone has drugs in the car without the owner's or
driver's knowledge. The sheriff's office already uses dogs on patrol, which
has lead to the discovery of narcotics during routine traffic stops.

Nourse said it will take more than drug dogs in parking lots to wage war on
local drug use. Other ideas include a drug court and billboards.

Area business managers are worried the sheriff's plan may backfire.

Ann Foster, Operations director at Kmart in Nampa, has mixed feelings.
"It's a double-edged sword. If they do it the way they say they will, it
will benefit the community. My concern is they (may) target one particular
location or type of business."

No way, said Peter L. Gilvarry, Karcher Mall General Manager. "He will
scare my customers away. Doesn't he have enough to do without going on
private property like this? Perhaps he should go on school grounds and stop
it at the source. This is where he should target his drug dog activity."

"The school district has no toleration for the use or possession of any
illegal drugs," Caldwell School District Associate Superintendent Chuck
Randolph said. "We make use of the drug dogs in schools. We will take a
wait-and-see attitude toward their use in the parking lots."

Randolph said his main concern is officers stopping a student's vehicle and
a subsequent search that finds nothing.

3rd District Magistrate Judge James C. Morfitt declined to comment on the
project saying: "It may result in people being arrested, and I can't
comment on matters that may come before me (in court)."

Narcotics Unit

The City-County Narcotics Unit, previously based in Nampa, began operating
out of the Canyon County Sheriff's Office Oct. 1. Three police officers
from Nampa, two from Caldwell and three Canyon County deputies make up the
unit.

Checked-by: Richard Lake