DISTRICT REVIEWS POLICY REWARDING CRIME TIPSTERS

Shasta Union High School District officials are re-evaluating a policy that
pays students who inform on their peers, Superintendent Mike Stuart said.

The 5-year-old Secret Witness program is in place at Shasta, Foothill and
Enterprise high schools. It offers students $20 to report others who
allegedly bring drugs or weapons to school or threaten to harm others.
Students receive the money only if the tip proves to be legitimate.

The policy came under fire in December after a 15-year-old Shasta High
School student was falsely accused of bringing marijuana to school. The
student was eventually exonerated and the students who made the accusations
were punished, officials have said.

Stuart said the program, which generates a handful of leads each year,
seems to have curbed the amount of drugs and weapons brought to school.

"Our overall objective is to get kids to do things for the right reasons,"
he said. "It's so dangerous to have drugs or weapons on campus. If somebody
brings a gun to school . . . and shoots someone, then we (the district) are
hammered."

But the December incident has caused officials to consider other options
rather than handing students cash for tips, Stuart said.

"We haven't changed anything yet," he said. "We're taking a look to see if
we want to continue it."

Stuart said options include donating money to nonprofit organizations or
discontinuing the program. Site councils and parent groups at each school
are expected to discuss the future of the program, but the issue is not
expected to go before the board of trustees anytime soon.

Shasta High Principal Milan Woollard agreed the program has helped keep the
campus free of drugs and weapons. Between five and seven legitimate tips
have been reported this school year on the west Redding campus, he said.

"I think it's a wonderful program. It's been very successful in weeding out
drugs and knives," he said. "Our kids enjoy the program. They don't want
drugs and knives on their campus. If we give them a little incentive, they
give us a lot of information.

"But if there's a better way, we're open to it. I think anything's open to
evaluation and improvement," Woollard added.

Michelle Gill of Redding, whose son was the one falsely accused of bringing
drugs to school, said she hopes the district will eliminate the policy.

"I would be really happy about that," she said Friday. "It's not that I
don't want kids to come forward. But money shouldn't be an issue. I think
it sets kids up to be dishonest. I think we're setting a bad example for
kids to tell them we have to pay them to do the right thing."