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R.R. stands alone in drug-dog searches Other Jackson County school districts shy away from State Police initiative By VICKI GUARINO Rogue River just said "yes" to having a police dog search school corridors for drugs, but other school districts are ready to reject the offer. Administrators at Jackson County's three largest districts say permitting the random searches of lockers and other school facilities would be disrespectful of students and counterproductive to other drug and counseling programs. But in Rogue River, where one school already was searched, the Oregon State Police effort is viewed as a valuable addition to anti-drug efforts. Superintendent Charles Hellman says the police presence underscores the importance officials place on having drug-free schools. "We thought that it actually would enhance our whole drug-prevention program," says Hellman. "We thought it would help the students understand how serious the issue is of having a drug-free campus." OSP Detective Dave Beck and his 10-year-old black Labrador partner Cazzie checked out Rogue River Middle School two weeks ago and found nothing. Beck and Cazzie will return to town sometime soon to search the high school. School administrators will be notified of Beck's arrival, Hellman says. "The administrators, however, will not be informing the students." Beck says he started the schools program last spring in Klamath County, and this fall began offering it in Jackson County. In Klamath County, Beck and Cazzie searched all middle and high schools. They've found small amounts of marijuana. School officials handled those incidents through normal disciplinary procedures. Beck says his purpose is to improve school safety, not arrest drug suspects. He would seek to file charges only in instances in which he believed a student had a large quantity for sale. The searches are only a small part of his duties as one of two OSP drug-dog teams in the state. He began the program after court decisions indicated dog searches on school grounds were legal. Court decisions stemmed from a case in which a small Oregon school district began drug testing student athletes. The dog's searches, Beck says, are far less invasive of students than the urine test for drugs. He says no students are examined in his program. They are not even in the halls when Cazzie is working. "We're not targeting anybody," he says. Nonetheless, Beck acknowledges, the issue of drug dog searches "is kind of a touchy area politically. So political, in fact, that Ashland schools Superintendent John Daggett is referring Beck to students themselves. Beck, an Ashland High graduate, visited Daggett Monday to offer the program. If students don't like the idea, Daggett says, then the initiative for searches would have to come from the school board or the Ashland community. Daggett notes that Ashland students have been involved in writing the district's drug policy -- a policy once dubbed "zero-tolerance" for its tough stand. So as for allowing drug-dog searches, Daggett says, "I would be heavily influenced by the students' interest in this." Daggett's hesitancy stems from concern for student attitude. He doesn't want to lose the sense of trust he sees developing among staff and students. Administrators in the county's three biggest districts -- Medford, Central Point and Eagle Point -- voice similar concerns. On the other hand, at one of the smallest districts -- Butte Falls -- Superintendent Harvey Boyle says he would welcome the searches. He quotes drug counselors who advise, "Trust your teenager, but search his room." "If you don't supervise the students, then they think it's not important," Boyle adds. In Central Point, administrators were so concerned about the potential for eroding student trust they have already turned down Beck's proposal. "We felt it would sort of be a slap in the face to the students," says Central Point Superintendent Mike McClain. "I didn't take it to the school board because it didn't have the support of the secondary school principals." McClain says faculty have worked hard to improve behavior by improving school atmosphere and developing a sense of trust between staff and students. Students have responded well, and a growing mood of cooperation is paying off. Medford and Eagle Point administrators share McClain's point of view, although they haven't yet talked to Beck. "We probably would turn him down, too," says Eagle Point High School Assistant Principal Mike Remick."It's a difficult line to walk sometimes between safety and security and respecting the students." The relationship between staff and students has to be firm yet respectful, says Medford Superintendent Steve Wisely. "Using a drug-sniffing dog would be firm, but probably not too respectful. I think our preference would be to work with our students." At least one student agrees. Ashland High School senior Donald Sarver sat in on the meeting between Daggett and Beck. Sarver comes from a California school where the dog searches were conducted with students' approval. Like Beck, Sarver links drugs and violence. In his former high school, students saw the searches as a way to attack gang violence on campus. "But if they had done it behind our backs, everyone would have been angry about it," says Sarver. "The students should have a say in it." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA