DRUG-SNIFFING DOGS FIND NOTHING IN FIRST BETHEL PARK SCHOOL SEARCH

Canines were brought in just two days after the Bethel Park school board
authorized unannounced visits of drug-sniffing dogs at Independence Middle
School and Bethel Park High School.

But the dogs found nothing other than over-the-counter medications,
although they had "hits" on 16 lockers while searching Building 2.

"It was things like Tylenol and Sudafed," district spokeswoman Shari Bruce
said.

Though district policy requires students to give such medications to the
nurse to dispense, none of the 16 students was disciplined.

Building 2 houses 10th grade and has 700 lockers. It was chosen for the
first search because it is "where the suspicion of illegal drug possession
is the highest," a district news release said.

Surprise sniff searches are something seventh-through 12th-graders in
Bethel Park can get used to. The policy adopted unanimously by the board
last week mandates searches at least once per semester but as often as
deemed necessary.

The three teams of dogs and officers used Thursday came from the Bethel
Park and Baldwin Borough police departments and the Allegheny County
Sheriff's office.

The dogs are trained to recognize the scents of marijuana, cocaine and
other drugs through plastic and clothing. Two of the three dogs identified
the same 16 lockers during Thursday's search, Bruce said.

Officials believe that even though no illegal drugs were found in the
lockers, it's likely illegal drugs were either there or in clothing kept
there at some point.

"They say that these dogs are so sensitive to the scents that they could
have even been from last year," Bruce said.

The lockers were searched after being identified by the dogs and after
parents of the 16 students were notified of the events in keeping with the
new policy.

It requires that parents be called if a dog smells something in a locker
even if there is nothing found. If illegal drugs, suspected drugs or drug
paraphernalia are found, parents are called and asked to come to the school
immediately.

In addition, the house principal and security officers begin an
investigation. Any student found to have violated the district's drug and
alcohol regulations faces an automatic expulsion hearing before the board.

Last month, Superintendent Victor Morrone and Bethel Park Police Chief John
Mackey sent a letter to parents of seventh-through 12th-graders warning
that they were seeing an increase in drug activity mainly at the high school.

The letter said searches by drug-sniffing dogs would be one measure the
district would take to combat the problem.

The board was so anxious to get the policy on the books it waived its
normal procedure of holding a first hearing at one meeting and then waiting
a month before voting on the policy at the following meeting. The Dec. 11
vote was 8-0, with board member James Manion absent.

The policy states, "Students should have no expectation of privacy as to
their lockers." The dogs will be used in searches only during class periods
or homeroom because that is when the hallways are clear of students.

Thursday's search was held during homeroom period, which normally lasts 20
minutes. Homeroom was extended and students were kept in the classrooms
because the search took about 75 minutes.