Jan 25, 2012 12:25 PM
Contrasted to a year ago, when parents and school employees objected to the notion of having police drug-sniffing dogs patrol school hallways, Monday night’s first official discussion of Sag Harbor School District’s proposed new policy of doing just that generated nary a peep of opposition.
Board members, who largely said they are now on board with Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Gratto’s proposal to use drug dogs as a deterrent to students bringing illegal substances to school with them—something he first brought forward last year—listened intently as Inspector Stuart Cameron of the Suffolk County Police Department’s K-9 unit explained the procedure that has been used in other schools on Long Island, including at least three on the East End.
The inspector said that County Police conducted 10 dog patrol operations at schools... more
Board members, who largely said they are now on board with Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Gratto’s proposal to use drug dogs as a deterrent to students bringing illegal substances to school with them—something he first brought forward last year—listened intently as Inspector Stuart Cameron of the Suffolk County Police Department’s K-9 unit explained the procedure that has been used in other schools on Long Island, including at least three on the East End.
The inspector said that County Police conducted 10 dog patrol operations at schools... more
Yes, bigfresh, children don't make the rules. Deal with it.
To everyone against this practice, "Would you allow your children to participate in illegal activities such as drug use?" I don't expect any answers, as it would show who the bad parents are.
To use your analogy, a cop cannot search your car for anything without probable cause (i.e. evidence) that you are engaging in some prohibited conduct.
The kids whose lockers will be search are innocent of any suspicious conduct. They will have to submit because they have no rights, as they well know. It is a bad lesson for children. As adults, they are likely to perceive their rights as merely notional when they interfere with the will of the police.
Furthermore, ...more is it necessary? By the cops' own admission, in 10 dog patrols at other schools, they made "2" arrests, for marijuana. Does this justify the use of drug-sniffing dogs even absent concerns over personal privacy?
This seems a ludicrous overreaction to which the Board is acceding because it is presented to them on a plate by the drug-sniffing dog cops who will use it as a reason to justify their existence and expansion.
Beware of Greeks (with badges) bearing gifts.
For those who want to Sandra Heartburn me about morals and ethics and all that jazz, if morals and ethics were a part of the child'slife growing up... we probably wouldn't be in this situation to begin with.
Who cares what the kids think? I mean, they are definitely going to freak out about this whole thing... but... They are useless potheads who could never contribute anything to society, so let's just skip the finding out step and make them lifetime prisoners. They will eventually be fine with being locked in classrooms so police with attack dogs can do their best to ruin their friends lives.
The best thing about this whole thing is that it will get all the kids in the school to stop smoking or going anywhere near pot. Now they can learn the joys of gin and oxycontin, the LEGAL way to get high.
You bring up the legal ways to get high.. alcohol and scripts. With scripts, one has to go doctor shopping or have a rather large income to fund the street ...more prices of these pills. With the pending thoughts among our fair lawmakers, the pharmacies will have a name, fill date, and quantity associated with said scripts within a network to more accuratly prevent an addict from the getting and finding ways and means to get more. the liquor store is a bit different. You can pay cash, credit, debit, check... and the product is onhand. Kids can get consenting adults to do it for them.. it's a lovely little game of manipulation. Really?
If you think pot only has a "slim" chance of ruining someone's life, you haven't been properly introduced to the effects of long term usage of any drug out there.. including alcohol.
I am "Properly Introduced" to long term usage of drugs. And, especially out here, alcohol and perscription pills are MUCH cheaper, MUCH easier to get, and MUCH MORE CONSISTENTLY ruin people's lives. Fact: Some kids in high school smoke pot. Many stop when they reach adulthood, many don't. But the ones who get arrested may be drug tested while on probation when they get out. And they are going to be feeling pretty crappy and hurt financially when they are going through the penal system. And Xanax and whiskey don't show up on drug tests. And when they are hanging out with their pot-smoking friends after jail, they are going to want to get high.
I've learned the hard way... it sucks. However, once a person decides to fastrack their lives back to being productive after they've graduated from the school of hard knocks, the rewards are infinitely better. Why? Once you've been down and out, and everyone has turned away from you because of choices made while using, you learn to do for yourself because you have to. It's a process, albeit ...more a sometimes tedious and tiresome one.. but still.. a process. One that at least for me, I'll never forget.
So, yeap.. I'm in total support of this. People can say "it's just pot" and "what about the teachers?" but in reality, it comes down to following the rules and being a productive member of society.
Rules adn Regs are there for a reason, and while some may not be as willing to respect them, the juice isn't worth the squeeze to disobey them.
Life is a fabulous teacher.
Arresting a kid is much more disruptive than him or her smoking pot. you are a bad person.