CHEROKEE SCHOOLS TO BUY DRUG DOG

GAFFNEY -- The Cherokee County School District will soon have a four-legged
helper to combat a growing drug problem.

The district will spend $6,000 to buy a drug dog that will be taken to all
schools where administrators think drugs are a problem. Gaffney City Council
members voted this week to fund maintenance and a full-time handler for the
dog.

Police Chief John O'Donald said he discussed the idea for several months
with Superintendent Bill James and City Administrator James Taylor.

The dog, which will have already completed training in narcotics detection,
will be purchased within the month. Gaffney High School re-source officer
Eric Quinn will be the dog's handler and will keep the dog at his home,
O'Donald said.

Blacksburg High School guidance counselor Billy Transou thinks students
seeing a dog sniffing lockers or vehicles for narcotics will be a deterrent.

"Kids are going to make an educated guess on whether or not to bring them
(drugs) to school," he said.

"If they see others get caught, they'll be less likely to bring them."

Last year, school districts statewide reported 950 incidents of drug
possession by students. There were 115 reports of drug distribution,
according to the S.C. School Crime Report.

The number of incidents of drug possession increased 4.85 percent last year
whereas incidents of weapons possession, vandalism, thefts, disturbing
schools and simple assaults decreased, the report states.

Students most often bring marijuana and prescription pills into school,
Transou said.

The dog will also be used to help educate elementary school students about
drug use and the consequences of becoming involved with narcotics, O'Donald
said.

"We see it as having a mutual benefit for the school district and for us,"
O'Donald said.