Rise of Drug Dogs in Schools Reflects Dilemma

Jan. 31, 2002 -- Colorado principal Mary White never thought her school would have a potentially serious drug problem.

But slowly, White, a second-year principal at Longmont High School, saw warning signs. In individual conversations, parents and students began to talk about drug and alcohol use among the kids at her school. Then, White said, late last spring, a former student admitted to selling "quite a bit of marijuana" to current students.

"That was just a slap in the face, a cold realization of what's happening in the building," White said. "We had used the traditional methods of drug education. We had brought in speakers to talk to the parents and the kids but that did not seem to be enough. The message just wasn't getting through."

To keep the problem from growing, White decided to try a controversial, but rapidly growing, means of interdiction: using dogs to sniff out drugs in students' lockers.

An Old and Difficult Problem

Administrators like White have been facing similar dilemmas for years, and more and more of them have been trying dogs to deal with drugs in their hallways — more than half of all students have tried drugs at least once by the time they were in 12th grade, according an annual study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

While there isn't a central database recording schools that use drug dogs, firms, like Interquest Group, Inc., a Houston-based company that trains and contracts drug-detecting dogs, have thrived on the business. Interquest started sending dogs to Texas-based schools 24 years ago. Now, it contracts dogs to 1,200 school districts (and 8,000 campus locations) in 19 states.

"What the dogs do is that they validate the presence of a problem," said Michael Ferdinand, vice president of Interquest. "They deter those who would think of bringing drugs or firearms on a campus. Those who see the dogs conduct these searches — they don't know when the searches are coming, and they have an investment to protect. They just don't think it's worth it [bringing drugs, alcohol, or firearms into a school]."

Policing a Problem Without Creating a Prison

Experts say the use of dogs reflects the problem administrators face as they try to protect their schools while providing a comfortable environment for students. Some students and parents at Longmont thought using dogs to conduct random drug searches would create a climate of fear and distrust between teachers and pupils.

White said she did not even have the full support of her staff.

"It was a very difficult decision," she said. "It's certainly not traditional. You run the risk of people mistakenly thinking your school is a problem school or sometimes people outside your realm think the problem is bigger than it is. With the decision, you also run the risk of alienating the kids. Some of the kids feel their personal rights are being violated and that the reason we're deciding to do this is that we don't trust them."

White said she believed the potential problem at her school posed a serious enough threat to take a more active approach, and attack the problem before it got out of control. She believed she could still use the dogs without making the students feel like they were in a prison.

Experts say White is trying to walk a fine line. "Part of the role of a school administrator is to assess problems and determine the best strategy for the survival of the school," said Ronald Stephens, president of the National School Safety Center.

"We don't want to resort to Draconian tactics that oftentimes make our students focus on how to mischievously get around a system," he said. "It's a delicate balance of creatively combating a problem, creating a safe environment without diminishing educative effectiveness."

Stephens said that drug-sniffing dogs should not be school administrators' first or second option. They must have a reason to begin the random searches and that shows that other methods of combating drugs have been insufficient.

"Certainly, we do not advocate schools carrying out searches just for the sake of searches or dogs sniffing students," Stephens said. "Before a school starts using drug-sniffing dogs, there needs to be some compelling reason that justifies that there is a drug problem on campus. The best case scenario is that the dogs don't find anything on campus."

Failing to show there is a problem could lead to lawsuits. In 1997, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of a teacher, two students and their parents against Galt Union High School when administrators began using drug-sniffing dogs. In its complaint, the ACLU and its clients alleged that administrators had no justifiable reason to conduct the random searches. The lawsuit was dropped when Galt Unified School District Board of Trustees unanimously voted to stop using the dogs.

‘I Don’t Want It Here’

While admitting that the canines will not stop off-campus drug use by students, administrators believe their use sends a clear message.

"I think the message I'm sending is this: 'I don't want it here,'" said Mary White. "I may not be able to control what students do off school property, but I do not want parents or students to fear that they will be in class with other students who are under the influence."

White maintains that the approach to handling serious problems such school drug use and keeping students and parents informed are keys to maintaining their trust. The first random search at Longmont High School by drug-sniffing dogs was conducted last month. Before the search, White said, she sent a letter to parents informing them about her decision.

Then parents had an opportunity to raise their concerns during an assembly in November. In addition, White said, students had a chance to see drug-sniffing dogs in action and learn how they operate when trainers from a dog contracting company came to the school and made a presentation. Students seemed less intimidated by the idea of dogs performing random searches when they realized not all the canines are as imposing as German Shepherds. Golden and Labrador retrievers and Jack Russell terriers are also used.

"You have to listen to your students and know what's going on, but at some point you have to make a decision and go forward," White said. "If you just come in with a Gestapo attitude, then all it does is make kids very nervous … it's counterproductive. You have to lay the groundwork and then follow up on the groundwork."