POLICE DOGS USED IN SCHOOLS

Who Let The Dogs Out?

The superintendent of The Battle River Regional Division recently outlined
to the board, guidelines that will be included in an administrative
procedure for schools that choose to use police dogs for random searches.
The division's policy committee created the procedure at the request of the
RCMP.

Gwenda Poyser the board's chairman said the group felt it appropriate to
develop a policy on random searches by police dogs in schools, based on the
rise in perceived illegal drug use by youth in our region as identified by
the Drug Response Task Force.

"The use of police dogs in schools is at the discretion of our respective
school administrators who may never have occasion to request the use of a
police dog. This would be another tool schools could use to ensure safe
learning environments for our students and is an option to use, if necessary."