RELEASE THE HOUNDS

Civil libertarians argue that drug dogs should not be allowed into
schools. Similarly, some parents and students agree this a violation
of privancy rights.

Nonetheless, there may be searches by drug detection dogs in
Abbotsford middle and secondary schools, if the local board of
education determines it to be within the confines of the law.

As recently as last Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the
random use of drug-sniffing dogs is unconstitutional.

The case involved an unexpected visit by a trained police dog to a
Sarnia high school, where it sniffed backpacks in an empty gymnasium.
One was found to contain marijuana and magic mushrooms. The young
owner was acquitted of trafficking charges, because the high court
ruled he had been charged after a warrantless search.

The ruling underscores that Canadians have guarantees against
unreasonable search and seizure.

However, if school administrators gain information that drugs are
being brought into a school, they should be able to take action to
deal with the situation, including the use of drug detection.

What's more, if a principal has an obvious drug problem at his or her
school, the community should support efforts to eradicate the issue.

Random searches also have a powerful deterrent value, to prevent the
problem in the first place, which is the primary objective of the
Abbotsford board.

In the larger picture, canines are used at airports and borders to
sniff for explosives, drugs and other contraband.

Searches are arbitrary, random, and for the most part, accepted or at
least tolerated by the majority of society.

School lockers do not become the property of students when they put
their locks on them at the start of classes. A school is public
property, and it should not be used for illegal purposes.

Young people who are not using drugs, or at least not bringing them
to school, have little reason to worry about a police dog sniffing at
their locker.

Ultimately, the dog is a tool, used to ensure that drugs do not find
their way into a public education facility where they have absolutely
no place - in the same way as metal detectors are used at some North
American schools where weapon violence is an issue.

The Supreme Court may see it in another light, but then, it's not
uncommon for the broader public view to differ from those of judges.