Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2017 • Dogs sniff for drugs at Lassen High
Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2017 edition of the Lassen County Times.
Brinks, the K-9 officer with the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, sniffs a purse in a Lassen High School classroom.Drug sniffing dogs came onto Lassen High School’s campus sending a statement illegal substances are not tolerated.
The event, held Thursday, Feb. 12, was a collaborative effort between the high school district’s administration, Susanville Police Department, Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, High Desert State Prison and the probation department.
Blitz, High Desert State Prison’s narcotics dog, and Brinks, the canine officer with the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, along with their handlers, put their skills to use.
Blitz, a Labrador narcotics dog with High Desert State Prison, makes a hit on a locker at Lassen High School. According to Susanville Police Chief Tom Downing, the drug dogs made five positive hits on lockers, one vehicle and one classroom, but no drugs were found.The animals sniffed lockers and vehicles in both the senior and junior parking lots and went into more than 10 classrooms. School administration cleared the students from the rooms before the dog entered.
Susanville Police Chief Tom Downing said the dogs made hits on five lockers, one vehicle and in a classroom, but no drugs were found.
Four citations were given to minors in possession of tobacco, although Downing said the dogs do not hit on tobacco products.
High Desert State Prison’s narcotic dog, Blitz, sniffs vehicles in Lassen High School’s junior parking lot. He is with his handler Mark Martinez.“It was very successful in my opinion,” he said.
The Lassen Union High School District Board of Trustees approved changing the search and seizure policy to allow for a drug dog to be brought on campus in November.
Per the policy, a dog cannot sniff a student.
Bringing the dogs onto campus, however, is more about emphasizing safety and students making good choices, rather than catching crime.
Downing said, “The purpose of this program is much more about making the campus a safe place to receive an education than it is about arresting juveniles and getting them in the justice system for drugs …”
According to Downing, a clear message was sent and he added school resource officer Terra Avilla said the students talked about the event all day.
Downing said he believes those discussions will continue that “drugs will not be tolerated on campus and we’re going to do what we can do to keep them off campus.”
He expressed appreciation with the partnership of the district’s administration and the board’s foresight in passing the policy.
Superintendent Bill McCabe said in a written statement, “This partnership can have a life-long impact on children in making good choices as they participate in our school environment. This partnership started this past summer with the active assailant shooting simulation on campus, which involved hundreds of law enforcement and fire personnel. We continue to build upon this partnership to create a safer learning environment for our children and reinforce making good choices.”
McCabe expressed appreciation to Downing for his strong leadership and cooperation to facilitate the canine effort.
“This symbiotic relationship promotes a safe school environment to ensure a high quality learning experience …” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to Avilla, the sheriff’s office and High Desert State Prison as well as all law enforcement personnel who dedicate their time to make Susanville and the high school district a better place to live and work.
There are plans for more drugs sniffs in the future.
