DRUG-SNIFFING DOGS AT SCHOOL

Westhampton Beach students who might have considered hiding drugs in
their lockers had better think again. Soon, drug-sniffing dogs will be
on duty to scout out the stash.

On Monday, parents were invited to a Westhampton Beach Board of
Education meeting to learn more about the use of specially trained
drug-sniffing dogs in and around the high school including student
lockers and vehicles in the parking areas. The Suffolk County
Sheriff's Department headed up the presentation.

In a letter to parents, school Superintendent Lynn Schwartz pointed
out results from the Teen Assessment Project Report 2006 that
indicated 25 percent of students in Southampton Town reported using
marijuana, with 23 percent having smoked marijuana before the ages of
13 or 14 and 11 percent of twelfth grade students smoking pot every
day.

In the last 30 days, 55 percent of teenagers reported drinking with 32
percent being drunk at least once; 24 percent reported binge drinking
at least once in the past 30 days.

Dates for when the dogs will be used on school grounds have not been
finalized, but students will also not be made aware of these dates.
The canines will canvas the grounds while students are in class.

Deputy Sheriff Captain Richard Clay of the Suffolk County Sheriff's
Office, as well as Deputy Sheriff and K-9 handler Kevin Tracy, were on
hand to discuss the logistics of bringing the dogs to the school. One
of three dogs, including Hans, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, will be
used. The dogs can sniff out heroine, cocaine, hashish and marijuana.

The odor of drugs will linger in a locker, said Clay, so even if the
drugs are not found, "the dogs are effective" in scouting out the
scent. "If we open a locker and there are no drugs, we know that the
dog didn't alert for no reason," said Tracy, adding, "The sheer
presence" of the dogs will spark "psychological intimidation," causing
a student who might have brought "junk" to school to leave it home.

The bottom line, said Tracy, is that drugs are a reality. "No one
wants to hear it, but drugs are in your school."

Tracy added that many students welcome the dogs. The presence of drugs
in the school makes many kids "stressed," and most young people, he
noted, don't want drugs in their schools and have told him, "I wish
you'd come to my school."

Should a small amount of drugs be found the student will be called out
of class and down to his or her locker, the drugs will be confiscated,
and the matter turned over to the school board. If a felony weight is
found, the Westhampton Beach Police Department will be called in and
the case will be handled by the district attorney's office.

Schwartz said the dogs are only facet of a comprehensive,
multi-pronged plan. "This is not an isolated approach to drug and
alcohol prevention," he said, pointing out that the Communities That
Care program (see story, Page 11) has been embraced by the district.
CTC involves the whole community in tackling the problem -- parents,
said school board members, must get involved.

Monday's presentation is a response to parents' fear about drug and
alcohol use in the school after a part-time custodian at the high
school was arrested for possession and sale of illegal narcotics last
May.

The arrest was the result of an investigation involving undercover
detectives who purchased cocaine from the defendant on the grounds of
Westhampton Beach Middle School, which is located on the same campus
as the high school.

District Attorney Tom Spota said powdered cocaine was left in an
automobile. The defendant allegedly directed the undercover detective
to go to the car, parked in the middle school parking lot, leave the
money, and take the cocaine. No students were arrested.

Schwartz reminded that protocol for dealing with drug and alcohol
abuse is outlined in the district's code of conduct.

Parents asked questions and offered suggestions, such as instituting
an anonymous way students can give administration information about
possible drug or alcohol use.

Of the drug-sniffing dogs, Aram Terchunian, Vice President of the
Westhampton Beach Board of Education, said, "This is not the cure-all,
the panacea." He added that it is just one component of the
comprehensive approach.

"We're just one tool the school board can utilize," said
Clay.