ARHS STUDENTS WILL NOT BE PROSECUTED FOLLOWING DRUG RAID ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

Police to Use Restorative Justice and Adult Diversion

AMHERST - Most, if not all students arrested at Amherst Regional High
School following a drug raid earlier this month will escape criminal
prosecution.

Deputy Chief Ian Naylor of the Amherst Police Department said that
while interviews still have to be completed with two of the 30 youth
arrested, the 28 young people and all five adults detained qualify
for either restorative justice or adult diversion.

"Our goal has always been finding a positive outcome and what we've
been saying from the beginning is that we would look at all
situations to see if they met the criteria for referral to the
programs," Naylor said. "We have to be fair and we have to be
consistent and that's what we have done."

The students, who are all serving suspensions from classes, were
arrested on Friday, April 10 when police, acting on a complaint
received from the community set up surveillance at the school and
then arrested 25 young people for allegedly smoking and possessing
marijuana in the rear parking lot at Amherst Regional High School.

That number was later increased as the investigation continued.

At the time of the bust, a small quantity of marijuana and drug
paraphernalia were seized along with some unknown pills.

While the students quality for alternative justice, Naylor stressed
it should not be viewed as getting a free pass through the justice
system because he said criminal prosecution and punishment is not
always the answer.

"We don't consider this a lesser option than the courts, but it's a
more appropriate option based on the circumstances," said Naylor.
"The whole idea of this is trying to change someone's behaviour and
sometimes the courts are not the most effective method to use."

Naylor doesn't feel criminal charges are needed to drive home the
message about drug use. The fact police responded to a complaint and
arrested a number of students should send that message.

Police, he said, plan to maintain a stronger presence at the school
while working with school officials and the community to put
strategies in place to prevent it from occurring again.