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Dogs once again set to search hign schooÎs tor drugs, weapons By T1M WHITNELL Special ta The Champion Halton students considering bringing drugs, guns or explosives 50 higb sehool may want to re-tbink Uieir plans or risk fac- ing the dog days of sehool. The region's public and CaUiolic boards, in conjunction with Halton Regional Police, are reinstating a program to use traineti detector dogs to search high schools for specific dangerous or illegal items. The Safe School Canine Initiative, which began last week wiUi the 2003-04 scisool year, is a more comprehensive hybriti of the carlier Project Hall WaIk. Tise latter program began in Halton in 1997 but waa discontinueti anti put under revicw in 2000. "The focus il stili on detecting drugs but Uic difference here il locating guna and explosives, like a pdilet gun or flrecrack- era," said Jacki Oxley, the Halton public board's sehool anti community liaison offi- cer. Halton police drug and morality bureau officer, Conît. Nishan Duraiappah, said tise program can only work with Uic co-opera- tion of Uie achool boards. "We bave to clepend on both school boarda and Uic information they provide is (indicating) the dynamîca of drug use (arnong teens) have changeti." "Back in Uic 1990s people Uiought Uiere was a dnig problem. The board is telling us (now) Uiat nobody is hitiing their beada in Uic santi anymore." Conat. Duraiappah said it will lic inter- csting to sec if Uic prevalence of what he termed "sofi drugs," like marijuana anti hashisis, or harder cfrugs, such as ccstasy, are on Uic risc among youUis. He noted tise laws arc toftening on mari- juana use and possession but tisaI sehool boards are remainissg vigilant about Uic possible presence of tirugs anti wcapons, isence tise cail to police for iselp. Usilizing new provincial legislation in Uic Safe Schools Act, Uic Safe Scisool Canine Initiative will "use a traineti tielce- tor tiog 10 seareis anti indicate if tisere arc tinsgs anti/or weapons in Uic hallways or paddng areas of a scisool," Ms Oxley saiti in a joint presa release with tise region's Catholic board anti tise police service. "Titis proactive anti preventive measure, which te intentieti to raise studessi aware- ness anti bopefully change their behaviour, may lic rantioinly impiementeti at any higis scisool of tise two Halton boarda, mclutiing tise cositissuing educatiosi services sites," site said, Witereaa Project Hall WaIk provitieti a faîr warning to parents, stutients anti scitool administrators of an impending searcis, this time only tise principal anti vice-principal as a participating scisool will know about it aheati of Urne. Tise plan is 10 use higisly-traineti sniffer dogs Uiat work wiUi Uic Canada Customa anti Revenue Agency ouI of Pearson International Airpoit. They will walk Uic halls anti parking iota of Halton's isigis achools with their police officer hantiler, as well as a Halton nareotics officer, tise achool liaison police officer anti a scisool admintatrator. If tise dog tietecta wbat il Uiinks is tise odour of tirugs or residue from a fireansi cmanating froro a locker, Uic principal will be askcti to locale Uic stutient whose Iock- er il is anti ask hiro or her 10 open h. If tise snstient refuses, Uic scisool atimin- istrator can open Uic Iockcr with police confiscating wisatever illegal substances may be insitie. Witile a small number of tirug seizures were matie tiuring Uic Uirec-year Project a trace amount of hashish on Uie floor in Hall Wallc prograro, there were no signifi- Uic girls' washroom aI Alderahot Higis cant tirug discoveries anti no charges ever Scisool in Burlinglon anti a trace amount of laid. marijuana untier a common-area bencis as One particular sweep at four high E.C. Drury High Scisool. achools arounti Halton in 1999 uncovereti * 555 DOG on page 13 Tise Canadian Champion, Tuesday, September 9, 2003-11 Dr. (Lsd IuavLJ 1h) U//hc la MiIUm~ 0K (905) 878-5165 11% flnencini uney mot bu combinsi wlth FDA or special loess miss. GAC. Se. dernier for detalis. Excildes dissel engins:.