TIP LINE TACKLES DRUGS, ALCOHOL

Students Urged To Call, Report Dealers

A series of talks about teenage drug and alcohol use among South
Eastern School District students prompted police to take matters into
their own hands.

The Borough of Stewartstown is footing the bill for a 24-hour tip
line that so far received two reports about area drug dealers, said
Stewartstown police Chief Charles Reid.

The department, along with more than 1,000 citizens in the school
district, took a hard look at drug and underage drinking problems in May.

A drug-sniffing dog punctuated that meeting with a search of
Kennard-Dale High School on June 1. The search resulted in the
expulsion of one student whose locker contained drug paraphernalia.
The tip line is the latest effort in an attempt to hinder the flow of
booze and drugs to the area's teens.

Supply chain: Rumors about the drug and alcohol supply vary. Reid has
heard that some parents supply kids with marijuana and alcohol. But
he also believes the supply chain is far-reaching.

"The kids are buying (booze) somewhere," Reid said. "They're not
getting it from mom's liquor cabinet all the time."

Police launched a campaign heralding the installation of the tip line
last Tuesday. Media has helped get the word out as have fliers posted
throughout the community.

Previous tip line: Southern Regional Police Department is
disconnecting a crime tip line wired since 1998. Despite hard-hitting
campaigns that included refrigerator magnets, catchy slogans and
partnership with the school district, the cost of the phone line
never paid off.

"We just haven't received any calls," said Chief James Childs. "We've
advertised at the schools hoping kids would call in and give us
information, but we get more calls on our regular phone line."

Reid said he's willing to give the tip line a chance.

"We've just started it," Reid said. "We'll have to see how it works."