POLICE BEGIN PARKING LOT SEARCHES

Police dogs combed the North Star High School parking lot Thursday,
a new way for Lincoln Public Schools officials to communicate an old
message: school is no place for drugs and alcohol.

"Along with messages we've already been sending... this would be
another avenue to strengthen that message," said Becky Wild, LPS
director of student services.

Police will search other high school lots, Wild said, but she
wouldn't say when.

When considering the parking lot searches, administrators weighed
issues of privacy with concerns about drug activity.

Information sent home to parents each year informs them school
officials have the right to search such areas as parking lots, Wild said.

And it's legal for police to use dogs in public places - like a
school lot - particularly with permission from school officials,
Police Chief Tom Casady said.

To search a car, officers need permission from the owner or evidence
to get a search warrant.

Casady, who said LPS administrators contacted him about conducting
the searches, called it a good deterrent.

"I think to the extent you can make the risk of apprehension greater
it minimizes the likelihood that drugs will be brought to school,
sold at school or used at school and I think that's a good thing," he said.

In January, police arrested a 14-year-old boy at Lincoln High School
after finding him with 42 bags of crack cocaine, $177, a cell phone
and four makeshift business cards on pieces of brown paper bag.

That - and other instances of drugs around the school - prompted
police to take several steps to combat the problems, including
searching parking lots around the school.

LPS officials talked with police at the time about the possibility
of searching all high school lots, though they'd discussed that
before, Wild said.

"All Lincoln high school principals are concerned about illegal drug
use during the school day," said North Star Principal Nancy Becker.
"(This) is to send a strong message to LPS students and their
parents that we want this to be a drug-free zone."

Thursday at North Star, officers and school officials stationed
themselves at parking lot entrances and used dogs to walk the parking lot.

If a dog got a "hit" on a car, another dog was brought in. If it
showed interest in the same car, school officials contacted the student.

LPD came when students are normally in class, but those who had
pre-arranged appointments were allowed to leave.

The results, Casady said, were encouraging.

Police searched seven cars, including five in which the dogs showed
interest, said Capt. Brian Jackson.

They searched another car because of information they had about the
driver, and one student ran from school security officers because he
mistakenly thought they were looking for him.

Those searches resulted in one ticket for drug paraphernalia: a
marijuana pipe.

"That's pretty darn good news if you ask me," Casady said. "There
doesn't seem to be evidence in the parking lot."

It's too early to say whether the practice will continue, though
Wild said it's likely intermittent searches would be the most effective.

Casady said he's sure Thursday's search will generate talk among students.

"No doubt anyone who has been bringing drugs to school in their car
or on their person would be having second thoughts if they knew this
potential exists and I think that's a very good thing."

Narcotics arrests near schools

Narcotics arrests at or within 500 feet of high schools have
increased over the past five years, according to Lincoln police.

2005: 102 arrests

2004: 95 arrests

2003: 67 arrests

2002: 53 arrests

2001: 50 arrests