LEGALITY OF DRUG DOGS IN SCHOOLS QUESTIONED

It appears that Dylan and his friends will soon be kicked out of school --
and he is only six-years-old.

Dylan -- a Springer Spaniel -- is a drug detection dog for the Durham
Regional Police Service (DRPS) and, according to officials at the Durham
District School Board (DDSB), use of the dogs inside Durham schools could
end after recent advice from lawyers.

Bev Freedman, Superintendent for Uxbridge area schools, told The Star that
lawyers for the board have advised them that having drug detection dogs
search hallways and locker doors for signs of illegal drugs may put the
board in the position of "being agents of the police" in any subsequent
drug trials.

Clint Cole, the Durham Regional Police officer assigned as School Community
Liaison Officer for secondary schools in North Durham, told The Star that
he was unaware of the details, but did confirm that police had been told
they would not be taking canine unit drug detection dogs into Uxbridge
Secondary School anytime soon.

"I do not know the details of this move," Constable Cole said. "I only know
that we have, from time-to-time, brought the dog units in at the request of
the schools to search for indications of the presence of drugs in public
areas. It has been very successful."

According to Const. Cole, when an indication of the presence of drugs is
made, officers note the location, but school officials then determine how
to proceed.

Earlier this week, DRPS canine units, including Dylan and the service's
newest member -- a two-year-old Malimoux named Justice Barker -- conducted
a search of Port Perry High School. The dogs are so sensitive to drug
presence that "indications" by the dogs turned up traces of drug presence
and even prescription drugs in sealed bottles during Tuesday's (Nov. 26)
search.

As for the future of drug detection in North Durham schools, that may come
at an additional cost to the public.

"Apparently," Ms. Freedman said, "if we use private contractors to do the
drug detection, that would be alright."

There are a number of firms now doing drug searches with dogs for private
industry and the field is growing.

Const. Cole said that the police role in schools continues to be proactive.

"I see us continuing to co-operate with the schools in any way we can to
make our schools drug free," Const. Cole said. "We only enter schools at
the request of the staff and we will work with them in any way we can. If
this is a policy of the board now, I can't say what the effect will be,
we'll have to wait and see."

Police are still investigating the "positive hits" at PPHS this week and
are not commenting on the matter.

Don McLean, Superintendent for Education at the DDSB, told The Star that
there is still no firm policy on the use of private contractors and when to
use them will be a decision made by individual principals at individual
schools.

The DRPS do not charge school boards for the use of drug detection dogs.

Director of Education Grant Yeo was away and could not be reached for comment.