DOGS TO SNIFF OUT CRIME IN SELMA SCHOOLS

Canines sniffing for drugs, alcohol and weapons should be visiting three
Selma schools within the next few months.

But when and where remain up in the air, according to school district
officials.

"It's random," said Larry Teixeira, assistant superintendent for the Selma
Unified School District. "They are going to avoid times that are
inconvenient for school, like testing. Other than that, it's pretty
random."

The issue came to light Tuesday night, when the Selma Unified School
District Board of Trustees unanimously approved a proposal from Interquest
Detection Canines of Central Valley to visit Selma High, Heartland High
and Lincoln Middle School in order to detect illicit substances and
weapons on school premises'.

Teixeira said the service is not only good for student safety, but that it
can help deter would be offenders. "We hope to send a message to all of
our students that that behavior is not going to be tolerated," Teixeira
said.

District superintendent Mark Sutton agrees.

"This is just another added feature that will hopefully prevent or
eliminate students bringing things to campus that shouldn't be on school
grounds," he said.

This isn't the first time the district has used dogs to detect illegal
items and substances.

Sutton estimates the program was first used by the district in the
mid-1990's. The last round of detection occurred during the 2002-2003
school year, but due to a budget crunch, the service was discontinued
until now.

Although both administrators had recently discussed reviving the dormant
program, an incident in November at Lincoln Middle School prompted them to
take action. School officials say they found out that a student was
carrying around marijuana with the intent to sell it, said Drew Sylvia,
principal of Lincoln Middle School.

Sylvia also said that at around the same time school officials learned
that a few other students were in possession of the drug.

Sylvia, like Teixeira and Sutton, agrees that the dogs can act as a
deterrent.

"Having the dogs makes kids more conscientious about bringing it to
school," he said. "Because there's always the possibility that students
could have it on them."

Under the recently approved proposal, canines will visit a school at
random and choose a random classroom to inspect. Students and staff will
leave that classroom but are required to leave their backpacks and other
belongings behind.

According to a district document written by Teixeira, If a dog finds a
suspicious backpack or desk, the student will be asked to show
administrators the contents of their desk or pack. The same document
states the dogs might also be escorted into the parking lots of the two
high schools.

Depending on what's found, Sutton said, penalties to the student will vary
and can include suspension or expulsion.

The program will cost the district $350 per visit and funding will come
from Selma Unified's Safe Schools fund, Teixeira said. The fund, of which
Selma Unified gets around $60,000 per year, pays for things like personnel
and training to help keep students and staff safe.

Debi DeShon, owner of Interquest Detection Canines of Central Valley, said
her company currently performs detections in approximately 60 school
districts in the Central Valley. The geographic area her company oversees
runs from Bakersfield up to Sacramento and includes the Bay Area.

So far, DeShon said the service has worked well for schools and that "we
absolutely find a decline in districts that utilize our service." But, she
also said these results takes time "because kids have to become
believers."

Student and guardian reactions to the detection program have mostly been
positive.

"It they're doing something, the school needs to find it, take care of it
and get the kids straightened out," said Connie Dover, grandmother of
Selma High freshman Kenny Dover.

Aaron Gonzalez, a freshman at Selma High, also thinks the program is good
for the school, as well as for students.

"You might be able to get them clean and stuff, so they're not addicts
when they're older," he said.

His grandmother, Yolanda Valdez, agrees.

"Any deterrent they can think of should be welcome," she said.

Carmelo Hernandez, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Middle School, also said he
supports the detection.

"I guess it's okay because it really doesn't disturb anybody," he said.

But Selma High sophomore Gustavo Martinez holds a different opinion.

"I think it's kinda good and bad," he said.

While Martinez thinks the canines are a good idea because it'll help rid
the school of drugs, he said he doesn't like that the dogs will be going
through students' personal property.