Believing drug possession by students has gone from inside lockers outside to the parking lots, the Cumberland Valley School District will conduct random searches of parked vehicles by drug-sniffing dogs.
The new policy has been under development for about a year. It was approved Tuesday night by the school board.
There was no rush to write the policy. Nor are there any plans at this time to conduct a parking lot vehicle search.
It was developed by the school board and district administration with collaboration among local law enforcement and the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office.
With the aid of certified dogs, local law enforcement will conduct the random searches. Students are banned from bringing items like drugs, alcohol, weapons and explosives into school.
While the district takes it seriously, it's a game for the dog, as the k-9 sniffs around the outside for possible drugs, he suddenly sits when he hits on the smell of drugs. The reward is a game of play for the dog.
Bill Castle is a retired police chief, a former police k-9 handler. He is currently a nationally-recognized dog trainer.
At his headquarters in Monroe Township, he has taught dogs and cops how to work together, including thousands of teams for drug law enforcement. A graduate of Cumberland Valley Schools, as are his three adult children, Castle thinks the new policy makes sense and will pass constitutional muster.
"They all have to sign a release to park there, that they can search their vehicles which they should be especially with today's problem with terrorism and all the acts of violence,” commented Bill Castle of Castle’s K-9. “School district needs that authority, I commend the school board for taking this step I think it's a bold step as most are worried about offending somebody. I am worried about these drug dealers offering our students."
Any searches would be coordinated with the Cumberland County Drug Task Force. The searches could be done by using a lottery system of numbered parking decals or by selecting a specific student parking lot and searching vehicles at random.
Board members decided after due deliberation now is the time to put the policy in place. It will also be included in a soon-to-be prepared new student handbook.
They believe it maintains a safe school environment while respecting individual protections guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
The new policy has been under development for about a year. It was approved Tuesday night by the school board.
There was no rush to write the policy. Nor are there any plans at this time to conduct a parking lot vehicle search.
It was developed by the school board and district administration with collaboration among local law enforcement and the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office.
With the aid of certified dogs, local law enforcement will conduct the random searches. Students are banned from bringing items like drugs, alcohol, weapons and explosives into school.
While the district takes it seriously, it's a game for the dog, as the k-9 sniffs around the outside for possible drugs, he suddenly sits when he hits on the smell of drugs. The reward is a game of play for the dog.
Bill Castle is a retired police chief, a former police k-9 handler. He is currently a nationally-recognized dog trainer.
At his headquarters in Monroe Township, he has taught dogs and cops how to work together, including thousands of teams for drug law enforcement. A graduate of Cumberland Valley Schools, as are his three adult children, Castle thinks the new policy makes sense and will pass constitutional muster.
"They all have to sign a release to park there, that they can search their vehicles which they should be especially with today's problem with terrorism and all the acts of violence,” commented Bill Castle of Castle’s K-9. “School district needs that authority, I commend the school board for taking this step I think it's a bold step as most are worried about offending somebody. I am worried about these drug dealers offering our students."
Any searches would be coordinated with the Cumberland County Drug Task Force. The searches could be done by using a lottery system of numbered parking decals or by selecting a specific student parking lot and searching vehicles at random.
Board members decided after due deliberation now is the time to put the policy in place. It will also be included in a soon-to-be prepared new student handbook.
They believe it maintains a safe school environment while respecting individual protections guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.