PARENTS WEIGH SCHOOL CANINE PATROLS

Though F.H. Collins Secondary School principal Darren Hayes doesn't believe
drugs are a big problem at the facility, the school is looking at having
the RCMP bring in a drug dog.

"Some of this is to be a deterrent," he said in an interview this morning.

School council officials, parents and students turned out to a meeting at
the school Thursday evening to discuss a potential policy that would permit
the drug dog into the Riverdale high school.

"Members of the RCMP M division with the cooperation of the principal or
designate may conduct random patrols of Yukon schools," reads the draft
policy. Hayes noted there was a wide variety of views represented at the
meeting. While some parents support the policy, others had questions about
the wording. Still others queried how far the school would go in its searches.

The principal said the student council can't represent the views of all of
the F.H. Collins' students. However, the group discussed the idea of
bringing in the drug dogs and sees it as a good direction to take in
keeping the school culture in place.

Hayes has been the principal at F.H. Collins for three years, but has been
employed at the school for about 12 years. In that time, he can't remember
a drug dog coming into the building.

However, at last night's meeting, a former superintendent of schools in the
late 1970s and early 1980s said there were police dogs coming into the
schools in those years.

"It's not new in one sense," Hayes noted.

Now it will be up to the school council to decide how it wants to proceed
with the policy.

School council member Dave Roddick said this morning the discussion at the
meeting was about why such a move would be necessary and in what
circumstances it could be helpful.

Members heard F.H. Collins is a comfortable school to be in, which helps
create a sense of belonging to those who attend.

Roddick noted the importance of the principal being able to protect the
students.

The conclusion he saw coming from the meeting was that at some point, it
may be appropriate to bring in a drug dog.

He noted students have indicated one of the main areas for exchanging drugs
is in the school's smoking area.

The school council recently passed a motion that the school grounds become
smoke-free. This could help assist with reducing the amount of drugs that
are exchanged at the school.

The school has yet to become smoke-free.

Even at the age of 14, addiction is a problem for some.

One student pointed out at the meeting that before she and her friend do
anything, her friend "has" to have a cigarette.

"It's pretty poignant," Roddick said.

Hayes is now working on coming up with a proposal to make the school
smoke-free. He pointed out that he doesn't want to simply ban smoking
because that could mean students going to another area to smoke. Rather, he
wants to find a solution that will help students quit.

"At this point in time, we're looking for suggestions," he said.

Whitehorse RCMP Staff Sgt. Ray Fast pointed out this morning the police and
dog would not actually be going into lockers if they were to venture into
the 40-year-old school.

When the police are asked to come out to the school for a search, the dog
handler and dog take a walk in and outside the school, including around the
lockers. If the dog indicates there's something "amiss" in one of the
lockers, no search is done at that point.

"The police are not actually searching the lockers," he said.

Instead, staff, with the student present, usually go into the locker after
the police walk-through.

"The principal or designate has the right to inspect school lockers if
there are reasonable grounds to believe the school's code of conduct or
discipline policy is being violated," reads the draft policy. "The students
and parents shall be informed of any locker searches by the school
administration."

If any drugs are found, the school can then decide how to proceed.

The father of teenagers himself, Fast said, from a parent's point of view,
anything that can be done to make the school a safe place that is drug-free
is a positive thing.

While there are some students who might not agree with such a move, he
said, it seems most of the students would like to see drugs removed from
the school.

Back to his role with the RCMP, Fast noted what has to be in place to
conduct the searches is informed consent from the students.