Description of safety strategy:
1st-A student awareness assembly informing student body of what is considered to be contraband on the school campus. This would include a practicle demonstration of the dogs locating and indicating on drugs and firearms. Also included would be a talk on how the students 4th Amendament rights are deminished when they are on school property, and why student body safety eclipes the individual right to privacy in a school. The student body is told the program is not DARE and that that is not the job of the dog handler to teach the harm in drug use. The idea of the program to discourage bringing or storing drugs or firearms and to ensure SAFETY, and that if they try and bring this contraband in the school, the dogs WILL find it.. The school administrators then explain the school policy on getting caught with contraband and the possible results of the possetion of contraband.. Also, if the school wishes, a representative of local Law Enforcement can explain the legal ramifications of drug or firearms possesion in a school.
2nd- Truly RANDOM sweeps of not only lockers, but all areas of the school, including school parking lots and grounds with dogs trained to detect drugs and firearms. The use of non-police detection dogs leaves the decision on what action to take if contraband is found with the school administration to be judged on a case by case basis. Sometimes, councelling is preferable to arrest.
3rd- Drug Identification/Current Trend Seminars for the school staff- Most teachers and administrators that grew up in the 60's and 70's think they are "current" with the information about drugs. The truth is, most have not seen crack cocaine or black tar heroin. They don't know how it's packaged and distibuted. They don't know what drugs are prevelent in thier area. They don't know what to look for in defining a student headed for a "crisis" situation involving drugs. Since the teachers and administators are in contact with the student body dailey, it is imparative that they be taught what to look for and how to deal with the current drugs.