SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSIDERS SEARCH DOGS.

Byline: R.A. Hutchinson Daily News Staff Writer

A dog patrol may prowl campuses in the Las Virgenes Unified School District next year in search of weapons, alcohol and drugs.

District officials are considering hiring Interquest Group Inc. in Modesto to bring in trained dogs to search lockers, parking lots and other school facilities for contraband.

``This isn't in response to any incident. We just want to make sure our schools remain safe,'' said Linda Cohen, coordinator of special programs for the district. ``They're trained to detect smells.''

The dogs can sniff out a sealed bottle of alcohol or an illegal drug stash. When the dogs - typically Labradors and golden retrievers - find what they're looking for, they quietly paw the spot until their handler rewards them with a toy.

Cohen said school districts have the authority to make unannounced random searches of school property and have turned to the private sector to help. If educators ask local law enforcement agencies to bring police dogs to campus, Cohen said, then the police officers must get a warrant before making a search.

The cost of having the dogs on campus is about $640 a day, but Cohen said that would cover visits to more than one school. If school trustees decide to approve a contract with Interquest, the program would be paid for by federal grants for crime prevention and drug-abuse control.

``It really wouldn't be a strain on anyone's budget,'' Cohen said.

Board member Charlotte Meyer said she noticed a dog at a booth last year at the California School Boards Association's annual meeting. The dog sat patiently watching more than 5,000 association members exchange information.

After she learned more about Interquest dogs, she asked board members Judy Jordan and Barbara Bowman Fagelson to watch a demonstration with her. A tiny sealed bottle of alcohol was hidden on a school bus.

``He found it,'' Meyer said.

Impressed with the effectiveness of the canine team, school district officials asked for more information. They discussed the program at a recent board meeting and will discuss the issue as an action item July 9.

Unlike police dogs, Meyer said, the Interquest dogs are not trained to attack. In fact, they are not allowed to sniff a person at all, she said, and breeds of dogs are selected partially for gentleness.

``The demeanor of the dog is very docile,'' Meyer said about the one in a demonstration. ``He did not have the demeanor of a police dog, which is very aggressive.

``I'm very excited about it because it's a deterrent,'' she said.

Kelly Smith, a 17-year-old senior at Agoura High School, said he is familiar with the program through a childhood friend who attends Poway High School in San Diego County. When he heard that board members were going to discuss the dogs, Smith said he decided to attend the meeting and offer his opinion.

``I think it's one of the greatest things in the world. It's an effective way to get rid of drugs that isn't humiliating,'' Smith said. ``By no means is (our campus) a crime area, but this supports our policy of zero tolerance.''

In Simi Valley, school officials voted earlier this year to bring police dogs on campuses as a joint project between the Simi Valley Unified School District and the Simi Valley Police Department.