DRUG SWEEP AT SANBORN HIGH NETS SIX ARRESTS

KINGSTON, N.H. - A five month sting operation by town and state
police led to six arrests yesterday - most, if not all of them,
Sanborn Regional High School students - and included the search of
lockers, backpacks and student desks with drug dogs.

A warrant has been issued for a seventh arrest related to the drug
sting, but police had not yet found that individual early last night.
At around 10 a.m., police arrested six people at the high school. All
were charged with crimes related to either the sale, transportation
or use of marijuana. No other drugs are mentioned in the charges.
Later in the day, at around 1 p.m., fire alarms sounded and students
were led to Swasey Gymnasium. Once there, Sgt. Patrick Palmer and
Trooper David Needham of the state police, along with Kingston
police officers, took two police dogs through the school, sniffing
backpacks and lockers. Kingston police Chief Donald Briggs said dogs
indicated the presence of drugs 10 times, but no drugs were found.
Briggs said a residual smell often remains after drugs have been
removed, and he believed drugs had been stored in the 10 locations
"at some time."

No charges will be filed as a result of the search, however. Briggs
said the 1 p.m. search by police was prompted by the school district.
The arrests in the morning were directly related to five months of
operations by undercover police officers, however, and were not
prompted by the school officials. During the sting operation, Briggs
said, undercover police officers purchased marijuana in "controlled buys."

High school Principal Gail Sudduth said she was told of the six
arrests yesterday morning, before they took place. She also said that
a search of the school by drug dogs is not unprecedented. The school
has held such searches several times before, usually once every few
years, she said. She said a School Board policy made searches of
lockers and scans of backpacks by dogs permissible.

"We want Sanborn to be a safe environment for all of our students, a
safe and drug-free environment," she said.

Sudduth said she did not believe Sanborn had a greater drug problem
than other schools, but she stressed the importance of working to
maintain a drug-free environment.

Student opinions about the search were mixed, with some saying the
searches were an invasion of privacy and others saying they were
necessary to maintain a drug-free environment.

"I feel a little violated. I don't want people searching my stuff,"
said first year student Rob Verreault.

Sophomore Kayla Fairbrother disagreed. "I don't have anything to
hide," she said. Fairbrother added that authorities have done a
fairly good job keeping drug use under control in the schools. First
year student Matt Card said he believed the search was important, and
stressed that the use of marijuana is illegal.

"If you want to do that stuff, go to Canada," he said. Students said
the 1 p.m. search was not announced as a search by teachers. Most
said that they believed they were taking part in a fire drill. First
year student Kegan Spencer said he didn't realize police were
searching for drugs until he saw authorities enter the building with
dogs. Several students said they know of drug use by their classmates
- - mostly the use of alcohol and marijuana.

Prescription drugs - particularly Adderall, Ritalin and Vicodin - are
also available, said one group of three students. That group said
they had also encountered speed and Ecstasy, although they did not do
drugs themselves.