SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSIDERS UNANNOUNCED DRUG SEARCHES

Local high school students may have a new mascot to get used to in
the near future: Sabo, the drug-sniffing German shepherd.

Following a planned Dec. 20 drug search at Argonaut High School that
resulted in suspensions and citations for three students with drug
paraphernalia, district and school officials say bringing a
drug-sniffing dog onto campus is something they're considering doing
on a regular, unannounced basis.

"We do plan on using that deputy with the drug dog various times in
the future," said Principal Dave Vicari. "We do feel we have some
concerns because we learn about drug use from our students and we do
want to use this deterrent to protect our campus."

In the weeks leading up to winter break, Amador County Unified
School District Superintendent Mike Carey said reports were coming
in of students stocking up on illicit substances for the holidays.
The district had hoped to convene an assembly at Jackson Junior High
School with the drug sniffing dog two weeks before the Argonaut
search, but couldn't get the dog in time. "We've been planning on
doing this," Carey said.

Vicari said he found out a week before the search that the deputy
with the K-9 unit had become available, and things fell quickly into
place from there.

Though the campus is in Jackson, the effort was coordinated by
School Resource Officer Rod Fisher, a Sutter Creek police officer
who handles all the law enforcement issues at the county's two high
schools, according to Jackson Police Capt. Christy Stidger.

Sgt. Ken Powers of the Sutter Creek Police Department hesitated to
give out further information, saying police matters "get really
sticky" when involving minors.

The Amador County Sheriff's Office, on request from the school
resource officer, provided a deputy with a K-9 unit to do drug
searches in the common areas of the school, such as the locker area
and parking lot, according to Undersheriff Jim Wegner. What the
deputy didn't do was allow his K-9, a German shepherd named Sabo,
to search the students themselves.

"The courts have deemed that a violation of privacy," Wegner explained.

Aside from being suspended, all three students were cited by Fisher,
Vicari said. Added Carey, "None of these kids were at that second
level where they could be expelled."

The search didn't include Amador High School, Carey explained,
because of the last minute nature of the operation and because most
of the rumors involved Argonaut High School. "A lot of the chatter
was more about Argonaut than Amador," Carey said.

Whether future searches will include Amador High School as well
remained unclear. Principal Allan Van Velzen didn't return requests
for comment before deadline.

Wegner said as long as the searches comply with the law and the dogs
are available - the sheriff's office bought its second K-9 Jan. 15 -
his office would be on board. "We look at that as a mutual aid
request," he said. "When we have the staff and availability, we'll
certainly help with that."