DOGS FIND NO DRUGS AT TWO SCHOOLS

A surprise drug search at two DeKalb County schools turned up no
drugs, DeKalb County Drug Task Force Agent Mitchell Dendy said.

The task force, along with local police departments, searched
Collinsville and Crossville schools, using a drug dog.

The schools were the second and third in the county to be randomly
searched this year, according to Dendy. The first was Ider, which was
searched in May.

"We don't have a set schedule," Dendy said. "We just go into each
school at least once a year at a random pace."

The program, according to Dendy, is used as a preventative tool to
keep drugs out of local schools. Officers search lockers and any other
areas dogs suspect drugs.

The lockers, according to Dendy, are not opened unless there is a hit
from a dog. Then, agents ask permission to open the locker from the
principal.

Court Referral Officer Stacey Neeley also participated in the search,
taking with him an ion scanner, which can detect even a small trace of
drugs on things like books, shoes or other clothing.

"We didn't have to use it this time, because our dogs didn't find
anything, and we are glad that we were able to go to both schools and
not find anything," Dendy said.

The first visit of the year, at Ider, according to Drug Task Force
Commander Darrell Collins, was in May when two juveniles and a
20-year-old student were arrested after a small amount of marijuana
was allegedly found.