USE OF POLICE DOGS IN SCHOOLS 'DEPLORABLE'

Dear editor,

Re: September 5 story "Police dogs make return...to schools"

So we are going to get the police dogs back in our high schools to find
drugs, guns and other weapons.

Surely there must be a better way to combat this than turning our schools
into something resembling an armed camp.

Then there is the comment by Officer Nishan Duraiappah, who said "it will
be interesting to see if the prevalence of what is termed 'soft drugs',
like marijuana and hashish, or harder drugs, such as ecstasy, are on the
rise among youths."

Interesting? How about horrible, deplorable or downright sad. Does he think
this is some kind of data collecting, noble research project, wherein the
process, he is sanctioned by some higher authority to violate the right of
our students, creating an environment of fear, suspicion, surveillance and
confinement? Whatever happened to the words renounce, reform, and
rehabilitate? And what ever happened to the use of education as the most
effective tool in the battle against drugs?

I can only hope there are some self-respecting teachers out there who are
going to take the time to teach the students their constitutional rights to
protect them from such harassment, injustice and intimidation. It is time
for all citizens to revolt against actions that are intended to curb
illegal and unacceptable activity but only result in curtailing the right
and freedoms of responsible law-abiding people. Our youth included.

Ken Key,

Glen Williams