Without Result—

Police Dog Used Just Twice For School Drug Searches

By Andrew Gorosko

So far this school year, the police department’s canine unit has brought its German shepherd once to both Newtown High School and to Newtown Middle School to conduct drug searches, in accordance with a new school system policy on dog-based drug searches.

In neither case did Baro, the male police dog, locate any illicit drugs at the schools, officials said. Consequently, no arrests were made.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe this week referred questions on use of the police dog for drug searches to School Superintendent Evan Pitkoff, noting that dog-based drug searches at the schools stem from a school system policy approved by the school board last August.

Chief Kehoe said police use the dog for drug searches at the schools at the request of the superintendent.

By contrast, police often use the dog for drug searches of motor vehicles on local roads, after those vehicles are stopped by police. The dog has often located illicit drugs in those vehicles, resulting in arrests.

Dr Pitkoff said this week, “This is something that we’ve started to use,” of the dog’s ability to locate drugs. The police dog was used for drug searches at the high school and at the middle school in October, he said.

The superintendent declined to disclose when the dog might be used again for school drug searches, saying that such information is confidential.

The drug search that occurred in October at the high school took place inside the school and in the parking lot during school hours, he said. The search at the middle school took place inside the school after school hours, he added.

The use of the dog serves as a deterrent, the superintendent said.

“We want to do it (searches) in a way that’s not disruptive to the educational process,” he said.

School officials anticipate using the dog for random drug searches several times during the course of a school year, he said. The use of the dog would be increased, if necessary, he said.

“The dog is another tool in our quest to keep drugs out of our schools,” Dr Pitkoff said.

 Last August, the school board approved using the dog for random drug searches in the schools at lockers, parking areas, and the school grounds. The dog is trained to locate marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and crack cocaine.