Canine contraband-detecting dogs will soon be walking the halls and classrooms of La Cañada High School. On April 18 all 7/8 and high school students attended an assembly where they met two trainers and one of the dogs from Interquest Detection Canines.
The assemblies were staggered so all classes would be allowed to hear the presentation and pose questions to the trainers and LCHS Principal Damon Dragos. The dogs will be part of a pilot program that will continue through the end of this school year.
“There was a lot of concern about increased activity, mostly in the 7/8 grades,” Dragos explained during an assembly attended by the school’s seniors. “I know that this doesn’t affect you as much, but we decided to have [the canines] throughout the entire school.”
He added that complaints and concerns about increased drug and alcohol activity did not just come from parents, but students as well. Dragos said the dogs will not be on campus to “catch kids.” He also explained Interquest is not connected with law enforcement.
“Our goal is to help you make better choices,” Dragos said.
Interquest’s Joe Austin stepped onto the cafeteria stage with his dog Rebel, a golden retriever. He said the dogs are trained to detect all types of illegal drugs, including heroin and marijuana as well as gunpowder and alcohol.
“They will not mistake perfume for alcohol,” Austin said.
The dogs will detect many of the prescription and non-prescription drugs that are now being abused by students across the country.
“One of the drugs mostly abused by middle schoolers is ‘No Doz’,” Austin said.
Although that caffeine tablet is available over the counter, Dragos reminded students that they are not to have “any drug of any type” on campus, unless first cleared through the school nurse. He said this rule does not only pertain to students, but to adults as well.
“Any drug that is here, either over the counter or prescription, needs to be checked through the nurse,” Dragos said.
The Interquest dogs are trained to sniff out all types of drugs. They can also find alcohol from unopened containers, tobacco and contraband substance residue.
Austin explained that the dogs’ ability to smell is different than that of humans.
“They can smell individual scents. Like, when you get home from school and your mom has baked cookies, you will walk in the house and smell cookies while a dog will smell the flour, baking soda, sugar, eggs; everything individually,” Austin said.
Neither students nor school officials will know when the dogs will be on campus. When a handler and dog enter a classroom, all students will be asked to leave, as long as the teacher agrees the timing is right.
“If a teacher is in the middle of something and does not want to be interrupted we will not enter the room,” Austin said.
“We [search a classroom emptied of students] because we know how campuses are,” Austin said. “If the dog stops and lingers at a backpack, then the rumors start that something was in that bag and although there [may have been] nothing there, the word will go out.”
After the students and teacher exit the classroom, the dog is walked around, checking each backpack and desk. If there is no contraband discovered, the process will take about five to 10 minutes.
“If the dog finds something — we call it an ‘alert’ or a ‘hit’ — he will simply sit. He won’t rip into the bag,” Austin said.
The suspect backpack will be taken, along with its owner, to the school office and will be looked through before witnesses. If contraband is found, the student’s parents will be called.
Dragos emphasized that law enforcement will not be involved and that this is a proactive program that is intended to help students before a problem gets out of hand.
Austin told the students attempts to mask the odor of contraband is not wise. He shared some examples of where drugs were found and how the owners attempted to confuse searchers. He said wrapping drugs in coffee, carpet deodorant and clothes dryer sheets are just some of the techniques that have been used in unsuccessful attempts to fool the dogs.
Austin said that during a recent check of packages for Federal Express, one of the company’s clients, they found marijuana wrapped in plastic wrap, then dipped in axle grease, wrapped in more plastic wrap, then in dryer sheets. The trained dogs were still able to smell the marijuana.
There were several questions from the young audience, including from those who felt their rights would be violated by the presence of the canines. Dragos explained that a school campus follows different rules and regulations than the regular world.
The principal added that vehicles in both the school and Oak Grove Park parking lot were also subject to the canine program.
“Anything within 1,000 feet of a school is affected by district rules,” Dragos said.
One student asked what would happen if someone dropped drugs into his backpack, either in an attempt to set him up or to get rid of the contraband and avoid detection.
“In my 14 years doing this I have found drugs and alcohol in a garbage can, thrown out a window and in the vegetation, but never in another kid’s backpack,” Austin said.
“And the flush rate increases dramatically when students find out we are on campus,” he added, alluding to the fact students use toilets to dispose of potential evidence.
One student, an 18-year-old, questioned why, if contraband were found on him, school officials would call his mother and father; he wondered why his status as an adult wouldn’t prevent the call from going to his parents.
Again, Dragos explained the rules on campus are different than in the outside world.
In an interview after one of the assemblies, Austin explained that as a parent of two daughters he would be concerned even if nothing illegal were found on his children.
“The dog isn’t going to hit on someone if they brush up against someone who has smoked [marijuana] before they came to school. But, if they were in a car with someone who was smoking, the dog would,” Austin said. “As a parent, I would like to know what type of friends my daughter was with.”
Similar meetings were conducted with PTSA parents and the school board last week. The program is now moving forward and is entirely funded by the LCHS 7/8 PTSA.
