EDUCATION, NOT ENFORCEMENT

The Edmonton cop who runs Dogs for Drug Free Schools defended the program
yesterday, saying his two-year-old Labrador retriever has yet to do a
single search since starting school visits last April. The program was
blasted by critics earlier this week for infringing on students' rights to
privacy.

The dog, Ebony, has been a fixture at Hairy Ainly high school for two
years, along with school-resource officer Const. Doug Green. Both Edmonton
Public and Catholic school divisions back the project.

"We don't do random searches," Green said yesterday. "I use Ebony, who is
trained to sniff out drugs, to teach kids about drugs, about the criminal
repercussions - it's education, not enforcement."

Green and Ebony have made presentations for about 8,000 students in 35
different schools, Green said.

The program was started by Green to head off drug problems at junior and
high schools in the city, particularly in light of the growing
methamphetamine problem.

"I'm not unrealistic - I know (students) will try to do recreational drugs.
Anyone can sniff out a bunch of B.C. bud, but not meth crystals," Green said.

While Green lectures about drugs, Ebony, who students have seen since she
was a puppy being carried around the school by Green, demonstrates how she
can sniff out drugs, hopefully deterring students from using or bringing
the stuff into schools.

"Since this started, there's been a 50% decrease in students we catch with
drugs," Green said.

If drug use is suspected in a particular part of the school, then Ebony can
go check it out, sniffing for drugs that can't be traced by people.

But that hasn't happened to date.

"The project isn't to prosecute kids. The only person she's going to offend
is someone with drugs at school. It's about deterrence."

The dog has also helped foster relationships with students the school cop
may not come in contact with, he said.

"If I want to catch drug dealers, I'll go across the street to the mall. In
two years I've been doing this, I haven't sent a single kid into the
criminal justice system for simple possession," Green said, adding that
instead, parents are contacted and solutions worked out.