K-9 DRUG-SNIFFERS PUT ON HOLD

Greenfield Board Wants to Take Closer Look at Plan

GREENFIELD - The Greenfield Police Department is offering to bring
drug-sniffing dogs to the city's schools, Superintendent Elida Garza
said.

Garza discussed the possibility of bringing dogs to Greenfield Union
School District's schools, which offer grades kindergarten through 8,
at the Oct. 2 school board meeting.

At the suggestion of board President Bob White, a decision on the
matter was indefinitely postponed while the district confers with its
attorney about any legal pitfalls.

Board member Chris Magallon said she felt uncomfortable with the whole
issue and especially felt leery about "random" searches.

Garza advised her and the rest of the board that the subject was only
open for discussion and not a "done deal" yet.

If the board decides to enter into an agreement with the Police
Department, the city would assign its police narcotic K-9 to conduct
random drug searches at the schools, Garza said. The team's purpose
would be to conduct random searches for possible drugs on school campuses.

The proposal was brought forward by the Greenfield Police Department,
Garza said. It would be a two-fold effort to seize illegal drugs on
school campuses and prevent younger children from experimenting with
drugs, she said.

According to a written report presented to the board, "The physical
searches will be conducted by district officials or their agents (the
school resource officer or patrol officer) and criminal prosecution
will be conducted by the school resource officer or any available
patrol officer assigned by the police department. The city will bear
the responsibility for hiring, training and supervising said officers."

Should the program become a reality, the Police Department would begin
its random searches at its own discretion on any one of the four
Greenfield campuses.

As outlined in the report:

The district would appoint a person at each site to meet the K-9 unit
upon its arrival. This person would then enter the classrooms and be
responsible for getting all the students outside, away from the dog.

Once the children are safely away, and only then, would the police
officer and dog enter the classroom where the canine would begin its
search. The items to be searched for would include, but not be limited
to backpacks, lockers, vehicles or any other areas where the district
requested a search on school property. The K-9 team would never
conduct drug searches on a student, the report says.

If the unit found drugs on campus, they would be turned over to police
and proper legal steps would be followed for prosecuting any suspects.

White suggested if the proposal is adopted, all students should attend
an assembly where police could explain the program.