DRUG ARRESTS AT BARLOW RISING

At 10:30 a.m. last Thursday, Redding police arrested a 15-year-old
Easton student at Joel Barlow. The charge was possession of less than
four ounces of marijuana.

The arrest is the latest of 10 drug-related incidents at Barlow since
the beginning of the school year.

"The number of such incidences has grown substantially since 2003,"
said Redding Police Chief Douglas Fuchs.

In 2003, Fuchs said, Redding police reported five drug-related
cases.

Last year, the number climbed to 11.

Now, "We've been very busy this year, especially since January," said
Fuchs.

Also notable, he said, is that approximately half of the 10 arrests
involved students under the age of 16.

Further, "Since the beginning of the current school year, we have had
twice the number of Easton [students] arrested," the chief said.

Nearly half of Barlow's population of roughly 1,000 students comes
from Easton, and the rest are from Redding.

Judging from the arrests, Fuchs said the drug of choice is typically
marijuana or prescription medicines.

"A lot of parents have prescription medicines for depression or
anxiety," he said. "It's very common."

Grounding such pills into a fine powder, then sniffing it or mixing it
with other substances and smoking it, can produce a potentially
life-threatening high, according to Fuchs.

Seeks a school officer

Fuchs expressed concern that Redding does not have a school resource
officer (SRO) or even a youth officer, which he believes could reduce
some of the problems.

While Easton police officer Mark Pastor serves as the SRO for local
students in grades K-8, there is no such presence at Barlow.

"Right now, all of the interaction Redding police have with Barlow
students is negative," Fuchs said. "It's either because of an arrest,
or a domestic disturbance or a car accident."

Further, he said, there is a lack of consistency in the response
Redding police can provide.

At Barlow, one of 12 Redding officers might respond to a call. "With
Officer Pastor, Easton students gradually recognize a familiar face,"
said Fuchs.

The chief wanted to make clear that SROs are not just regular police
officers assigned to the schools.

The position involves extensive, specialized training in substance
abuse and youth behavior.

An SRO also has the advantage of developing a keen understanding of
school policy and protocol. In doing so, he is able to develop a
rapport with school administrators, staff members and, most crucially,
students.

Fuchs speculated that the reason Barlow doesn't have an SRO is largely
because of budgetary concerns.

However, Fuchs said, a sole entity would not be responsible for
funding the position.

"The cost would be shared through the town of Redding, the Redding
Board of Education and the Region 9 [Barlow] Board of Education," he
said. "Each entity would incur a cost of less than $30,000."

Besides budget concerns, Fuchs admitted that there tends to be
trepidation over "police presence" in schools.

However, he said, the SRO's role is often largely education-based.
This officer is a solid, consistent presence in the school.

Youth officers, in contrast, primarily respond to school-issued
calls.

Many other Connecticut communities, including Wilton, Weston, Bethel,
New Canaan, New Milford, Darien, Fairfield and Monroe, currently have
at least one SRO or youth officer, according to Fuchs.

Before Pastor became Easton's SRO last fall, he was the town's officer
for DARE [Drug Abuse Resistance Education]. Easton Police Chief John
Solomon said Pastor has been with the local police force 15 years and
is very experienced.

"The SRO program is an excellent one, requiring extensive training and
expertise," Solomon said. He also noted that "too many people" equate
SROs with security officers.

Task Force established

As Fuchs continues to appeal for an SRO, the Redding and Easton school
officials have established several new programs to combat substance
abuse.

This past January, Easton and Region 9 School Supt. Dr. Allen
Fossbender established an administrative task force to raise awareness
about the problem.

The task force comprises Barlow principal Ross Calabro and Helen
Keller Middle School principal Joan Parker, plus representatives from
the Easton Redding Community Coalition (ERCC), the Easton PTA, the
Housatonic Valley Coalition Against Substance Abuse(HVCSA) and RYASAP.

A Keller and Barlow student are also on the task force.

The task force charge is essentially to "define the nature and scope
of drug and alcohol use among students," and to identify current
school and community-based substance prevention activities. The task
force also reviews school- and community-based substance prevention
activities and substance-related school policies.

Finally, the task force works to research and implement administrative
and community collaboration that will result in "more and better
prevention activities and measures."

Students have suggested that teachers have training to identify and
handle a student that may be high on drugs.

In addition to an initiative to increase training, plans are also
underway to revise Barlow's current substance abuse policy.

"We'd like to make it simpler, tighter and more concise," said
Beitman.

Currently, first-offending students are suspended out of school for
five days and prohibited from extracurricular activities and sports
for 45 days.

Second, "and consecutive" offenses incur 10-day suspensions and 90-day
exclusion periods from sports and activities.

Penalties may be reduced if the student undergoes counseling.

Substance abuse policies are much tighter in surrounding districts.
Last summer, Newtown's school board revised its policy to recommend
students be expelled for their second substance-abuse offense.

First-time offenders now automatically undergo intensive
counseling.

The task force also plans to review the district's health curriculum,
which student representatives have deemed somewhat "dated."

Not just in Easton

"It's important to note that the drug problem is not exclusive to
Easton and Redding, but everywhere, particularly in Fairfield County,"
said ERCC Family University Co-Chairman Renee Beitman.

According to the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services (DMHAS), Connecticut has the highest rate of drug abuse in
the nation.

Fairfield County in particular has the highest rate of drug use in
Connecticut.

"With wealth comes access," said Fuchs.

Marijuana is well known as a "gateway" substance to harder drugs. It
also accounts for roughly 45 percent of U.S. drug arrests. Fuchs said
that's partly because marijuana is easy to detect. "[It] has a very
distinctive sweet-and-sour smell," he said. "It's easy to get, and
easy to identify."

The drug is often mixed with other substances, including prescription
medicine, producing an even more dangerous high.

"A lot of people underestimate how damaging marijuana can be," said
Fuchs. "Knowing that we don't have an SRO at Barlow, it is important
to get the message out about this problem any way we can."