STUDENTS ASSAIL POLICE DOG SEARCH PLAN.Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff WriterWhat began as a typical presentation of Simi Valley's K-9 unit at a local junior high school turned into an intense discussion of constitutional rights Wednesday. After watching officers from the Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. Police Department's K-9 unit demonstrate how police dogs will sniff their lockers for narcotics narcotics n. 1) techinically, drugs which dull the senses. 2) a popular generic term for drugs which cannot be legally possessed, sold, or transported except for medicinal uses for which a physician or dentist's prescription is required. , Sequoia sequoia (sĭkwoi`ə), name for the redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and for the big tree, or giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), both huge, coniferous evergreen trees of the bald cypress family, and for extinct related species. Junior High students told officers they were concerned that the program would violate their right to privacy. Ninth-grader Sean Carl was applauded by his schoolmates during the open forum, when he told officers ``these (searches) take away the rights from the kids.'' Other students said they were worried that the dogs could attack an innocent person by mistake, while some were concerned that the officers would be carrying guns on campus or were concerned that their lockers might be sniffed out by accident. One in a series of assemblies to be presented at secondary schools districtwide, the presentation showed students what to expect when the dogs are brought on campuses as part of the school district's ``zero tolerance'' policy. Lt. Don Austin of the K-9 unit told the students that a similar program in Ventura has been ruled to be constitutional, because lockers are the property of the school and not the students. At a similar assembly Tuesday at Hillside Hillside may refer to: Places
``I support anything that will help do away with drugs,'' Webb said. Jacob Jacob (jā`kəb), in the Bible, ancestor of the Hebrews, the younger of Isaac and Rebecca's twin sons; the older was Esau. In exchange for a bowl of lentil soup, Jacob obtained Esau's birthright and, with his mother's help, received the blessing Raveglia, a ninth-grader at Hillside Junior High, thinks the searches are a good idea. ``It's good for people who have drugs in their locker Things commonly known as lockers include:
With his German shepherd German shepherd, breed of large, muscular working dog perfected in Germany at the turn of the 20th cent. It stands about 25 in. (64 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 60 to 85 lb (27.2–38.5 kg). , Max, Officer Dwight Thompson Thompson, city, Canada Thompson, city (1991 pop. 14,977), central Man., Canada, on the Burntwood River. A mining town, it developed after large nickel deposits were discovered in the area in 1956. showed the canine's abilities by directing the dog to sniff out marijuana marijuana or marihuana, drug obtained from the flowering tops, stems, and leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa (see hemp) or C. indica; the latter species can withstand colder climates. from one of several closed shoe boxes. Austin explained that should a dog sniff out a locker, that locker would not be opened by a police officer. Instead, the locker would be marked and a school administrator would handle the matter. He added that the dogs will be leashed at all times. The K-9 unit agreed to help with the district's efforts, by bringing up to 10 dogs at a time to Simi school campuses as part of their police dog training. School officials voted 4-1 in March to bring police dogs on campuses. The decision was made despite continuing protests by students who said the move would violate their constitutional right to privacy. The program, scheduled to begin as soon as next week on a pilot basis, is a joint effort between the school district and the Simi Valley Police Department's K-9 Unit. ``They've (the school district) taken a stand on making campuses safe,'' said Austin. ``Anything they can do to achieve that is wonderful.'' District Superintendent District Superintendent may be:
CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1--Simi edition only--Color) K-9 unit officer Dw ight Thompson introduces his partner Max during an assembly at Sequoia Junior High School in Simi on Wednesday. (2--Simi edition only--Color) Officer Thompson gives Max a command, while students received information on the dogs' role in drug searches on campus. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News |
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