RANDOM SEARCHES NEEDED FOR STUDENTS

To the editor:

Re: Unfettered police powers don't jibe with Charter rights, Jeff
Mitchell column, May 25.

While the basic rights and freedoms of the Charter of rights should be
upheld, I submit random drug searches of schools and public parks are
significantly different from random drug searches of just anyone on
the street. I do not think we need to treat all junior and high school
students like potential criminals, however maybe the fear of potential
random drug searches may keep the offending students in check. Or at
least keep them from bringing their drugs to school and to our parks
which should be a safe place for any citizen to frequent.

I frequent one of the neighborhood parks with my two very young
children. I started going at lunch-time for a nice picnic with my
children and have found now that I cannot go to this park at lunchtime
because of the drug use by the students of the nearby school. If the
police have no power to randomly search these students, what is to
stop them from doing this daily?

I have called the police but have only seen them there when the kids
are in school. I have called the school principal who is at a loss and
said it is a daily problem for them but they have no jurisdiction with
these kids as they are no longer on school property. So who does have
jurisdiction? Who can do something about this? If the kids cannot be
searched, why would they stop?

Doing a random drug check of a school is not only appropriate, these
days it is a necessity. I know that I would want to know if my kids
are bringing drugs to school and they should learn that there are
consequences to their actions.

SHERYL TAVOULARIS

Whitby