DRUG-SNIFFING DOGS MAY SOON BE IN ABBY SCHOOLS

Drug-sniffing dogs could be in Abbotsford schools as early as September if
a school board motion passes on May 17.

School trustee Uultsje DeJong introduced the motion and said, "Drugs are
high on my priority list. . . I think the drug issue itself is high on all
trustees' list. We know that there's a problem. We're going to do what we
can to try to stop it."

DeJong's motion calls for the school district, Abbotsford Police
Department, the federal Crown prosecutor's office and the City of
Abbotsford to create drug-free zones around schools and to approve
drug-detection dogs.

DeJong said the drug-free zone is a two-block radius that will surround
every school and anyone - students or other members of the public -
disobeying drug laws within that zone is subject to stricter penalties. For
instance, the proposal says a person caught with drugs for the purpose of
trafficking will face triple the normal penalty, including fines,
probation, community service hours or jail time. A person caught with drugs
for personal use will be subject to twice the penalty.

"It's meant to be a deterrence," said DeJong. "If we're serious about the
drug problem - and I think we are - we need to make sure we do this."

The second part of the proposal calls for drug-sniffing dogs, which DeJong
said would likely be sent to random schools on a monthly basis to sniff
kids' lockers.

"Ideally we'd have dogs at school dances too," he said. "We could have a
dog at the door. The further we can push this the better I would like it.

School board vice-chairman John Smith said he supports DeJong's plan.

"My impression is the entire board believes it's a good idea," he said.
"It's a big problem. We have a serious problem in our society and we've got
to deal with this issue. We can't pretend it doesn't exist."

Drug-detection dogs in Abbotsford schools is nothing new, said Smith. At
the former Clearbrook Junior School in the 1970s and as recently as the
mid-1990s at Rick Hansen Secondary School drug dogs were on the prowl.

Smith said it's fully legal.

"We've been challenged on it [before]," he said. "A parent took the
position we had no right to force his child to open his locker. We do. We
absolutely do."

Abbotsford Police Const. Shinder Kirk said a review is currently being
conducted looking at the viability, cost and legality of the proposal from
the department's perspective.

"The bottom line is we're in support of dogs in schools to address the
increasing issue of drugs in schools," he said.