D.A.R.E. GRAD, 11, NABBED WITH DOPE

An 11-year-old graduate of Norwood's DARE program has been caught with
pot at school.

Police said the girl, who is not being identified, had "a small
amount" of marijuana in her locker.

Police Officer Richard Giacoppo, the resource officer at the middle
school, said the presence of drugs is an unfortunate reality in
schools today, but admitted Monday's incident "was really unusual for
that age group."

Police said school officials acted on a tip and went looking for the
pot. The girl was not arrested but will be summoned to juvenile court.

The incident comes just two weeks after an unrelated incident at the
school where a 14-year-old boy was also caught with pot.

School board member Bill Plasko Jr. said popular culture is in part to
blame, assaulting children at a younger age with violence and drugs.

"They have less and less time to be kids," he said.

Giacoppo declined specific comment on the 11-year-old caught by the
school, but said she had graduated from the school's Drug Abuse
Resistance Education program.