No whiff of drugs at 2 Elgin schools

Large dogs with police trainers walked through hallways and locker rooms at two Elgin middle schools Thursday, checking for drugs as part of School District U-46's random search program, which officials say serves as a deterrent to teenagers.

As they sniffed along the lockers and floors at Abbott and Kimball middle schools, neither of the dogs indicated they smelled marijuana or other illegal drugs.

About a year and a half ago, the Elgin-based district started random dog searches in its high schools after an increase in suspensions because of drugs, Safety Coordinator John Heiderscheidt said. This school year, middle schools were added to the rotation after officials noticed the same trend.

Although actually finding drugs is rare, many times dogs indicate they smell drugs, which usually means the scent is on clothing inside a locker, Heiderscheidt said. If drugs are found, the student is disciplined and parents are called. Parents are also called if a dog just detects a smell, he said.

"We know drug use is on the rise," Heiderscheidt said, adding that the district's data show most out-of-school suspensions are associated with drug use.

If students know drugs could be detected in lockers or in the parking lot it might prevent them from bringing the illegal substances to school, Heiderscheidt said, and therefore cut back on the number of suspensions.

"If we heighten the anxiety of bringing (drugs) to school in the first place we might be effective in changing their behavior for the better," he said.

The searches are done about once a month at schools throughout the district, working in partnership with Elgin, South Elgin, Bartlett and Streamwood police, Heiderscheidt said.

The school helps identify the areas a locker room or hallway where two dogs conduct a search, sniffing around with officer trainers as their guides. Students are never present during the searches, which are done during class time, he said, and they're never directly searched by a dog.

That minimizes the disruption to the school day, Heiderscheidt added.

Originally posted here:
No whiff of drugs at 2 Elgin schools