Drug sniffer dogs face school ban

[Lunar Loops]

This from the BBC News website (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/6265205.stm):


Drug sniffer dogs face school ban


A Norwich Prison sniffer dog detected drugs at a school

Sniffer dogs used to find drugs in police raids or at prisons may be banned from school education visits.
A prison drugs dog at Heartsease High school in Norwich during an educational trip set official alarm bells ringing.
Norfolk County Council said they are worried an innocent pupil with traces of relatives' cannabis could be shamed and are reviewing their policy.
Norfolk Police also said officers would not know what to do if a dog found a pupil or teacher possessing drugs.
In 2004 Norfolk police withdrew their own drugs dogs from schools and said it was because there were no clear guidelines, as well as the fact the force's dogs were so popular demand could not be met.
'Clear guidelines'
Richard Price, Norfolk Police drugs liaison officer, said: "The kind of incident that could happen would put police officers in a very awkward position and we would seek to avoid that if possible.
"We are looking for clear guidelines and a protocol so that every incidence would be covered."
Many head teachers believe the sessions are important but the possibility of an embarrassing incident is a concern to the county council. Norwich Prison drugs dogs have detected tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs in the county in recent years and now its governor has been asked by the council to stop sending the dogs into schools. The Norfolk Criminal Justice Board said it has not made a final decision to stop using drugs dogs on educational visits.

[Flimmar]

Wow. Seems a bit extreme to SWIM.

It seems, that the war against drugs has increased all over europe.

In Denmark, a school has just gotten these drugtests that tests your sweat, and the teachers are allowed at all time to test any student, that they think is under the influence of a drug.

Spooky.

[old hippie 56]

Well, welcome to the club. They spend a lot of money here in Texas and the rest of the states combating the evil drugusers. Dogs, drug testing, paid snitches, and the list goes on and on. Then they wonder why there is no trust in the school system.

[Flimmar]

I think it's so lame. It's like, you're guilty until proven otherwise, which is so much against what, as I see it, the Land of the Free, Amerika stands for.

[Pinkavvy]

A nephew of swips girlfriend had a problem like this. The neices mother uses marijuana medically (and grows.) At one point in time the neice's backpack was used to carry an lb from grow house to home. It was sealed in the backpack, so nothing was thought of it. The neice used the backpack at school the next day, and a random drug dog alerted to her locker, since the backpack was in it. The neice was very emberassed and received much herassment from the school and police. The police even tried to get CPS involved and get the kid to tell on their parents. The parents ended up getting their medical stash taken away, though not in trouble as their medical documentation was in place.

[zera]

Man swim's glad he's not in public school anymore, because the other night he was so baked he put a bong in his backpack when it was still filled with water and now has a backpack soaked with bong water. Thank God in a university the overwhelming smell barely draws a glance.

Anyway everyone in America from age 8 to 80 needs to memorize these two phrases:
"I do not consent to any warrantless searches" and
"I refuse to speak to anyone until my lawyer's present"
When I have kids and I send them to school I'm writing those two phrases on permanent marker on their arms.

[dreamatrix]

ha swim had this happen to a highschool he went to the year after he left,, so funny,, yeah well once in a while local officers go nutss and think they have to intervene in their own fucked up way i dont think is realy common in europe to happen

[renegades]

I remember reading somewhere that drug sniffing dogs gives a false positive 40% of the time. So you might have nothing, but the dog sits and points his paw at your car, that is probable cause. The dogs are right only 60% of the times and we are asked to give up our rights and let the police search your person and your car based on a false positive. I can see how that would terrify a jr high school or high school student. They are probably striped searched. The police find nothing and all they can say is sorry. Too nigh of a percentage of error on part of the dog that results in stripping a man of his rights under the consitution and bill of rights.

[daeron]

i just think dat dis is disscir...discrimimi....discrimination!
why are drug sniffin puppies not good as anywun else?
everywun has d right to an education, even if he is a drug sniffin puppy!