BOE VOTES TO ALLOW DRUG-SNIFFING DOGS

After three years of debate, the Board of Education voted last night
to allow the use of drug-sniffing dogs and permit random locker
searches at public school.

The new rules, which allow random searches "with or without cause,"
passed 8-4.

Board member Kim Coco Iwamoto voted against the proposed changes
because she said the school board is supposed to uphold the
Constitution, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. "If
we are found to be wrong, the 'without cause' issue is not necessarily
constitutional and we are recklessly going ahead anyway," she said.

Four opponents of the measure testified last night against modifying
Chapter 19 of the state administrative rules to permit random searches
of student lockers.

Criminologist Katherine Irwin testified that the drug-sniffing dog
programs, which have been in use on the mainland since the 1990s, don't work.

Mandatory disciplinary action "and drug-sniffing dog programs, in
particular, are ineffective, drive a wedge between communities and
schools, and cost school districts enormous sums in legal fees," said
Irwin, a University of Hawaii associate professor of sociology.

Board member Mary Cochran, who voted in favor of the changes, said,
"I'm thinking about the 99 percent of the students who are entitled to
an environment free of drugs, alcohol and guns and all the other
paraphernalia that can harm them."

Board member Maggie Cox said, "I just want to give more tools that are
available (to school administrators). It doesn't mean they're going to
have dogs running all over them."