POLICE CHIEF SUPPORTS DRUG SEARCHES AT HIGH SCHOOL

[1a2b3c]

http://www.projo.com/southcounty/content/projo_20031210_nsweep10.2fafec.html
NARRAGANSETT -- Chief J. David Smith will present a report to the
School Committee next week that may lead to a new policy on using dogs
to conduct searches for drugs at Narragansett High School.

The random searches would be done in tandem with new anti-terrorism
safety requirements that require schools to do periodic lockdowns or
"sheltering-in-place" drills.


Ahh, good ol' Mr Ashcroft. Now searching a high school for drugs is somehow releated to anti-terrorism? Is Sadam in the school planning the next 9/11?

[Djinn]

1. when I was in highschool

we once had a right fascist of a vice principal who decided we'd have random unnannounced locker searches, so a large number of us brought plastic bags of flour, icing sugar, oregano & rosemary mixed together and random colorful non prescription pills.

poor dupe thought he'd hit some kind of bad kid jackpot - only ended up with him being lectured by the local cops about privacy and wasting their time - it still makes me wet myself to this day

[alexwcovington]

2. hehe

This is sad, we should not be violating rights like this. What does that teach kids?!

[1a2b3c]

5. we are teaching them that rights violations are OK

Thats what i was taught in school when we had locker searches, only us trouble kids though.

[drfemoe]

4. icing?

what illegal substance does that represent?

[Djinn]

6. to a conservative dull teacher

any white powder is suspicious - oregano and rosemary doesn't look a whole lot like pot either and certainly doesn't smell like it but this was a guy who's big drug experience in his youth was probably a sip of egg nog

[Liberal Classic]

9. Those were the days

Now the kids would be suspended for making imitation illegal drugs.

[1a2b3c]

12. That depends.

Since i went to school in conservative hell, and was expelled every year of high school, i noticed one thing. They would always seem to wait until after the state counted students. They never expelled me till after i was counted....it cuts into their budget if they dont get my money from the state.

Damn, nevermind. You said suspended. Yep, you can get those any time of the year without losing budget money.

[drfemoe]

3. somehow I think it's more about the

periodic lockdowns or
"sheltering-in-place" drills.
:scared:

Time to run for school board seats ...

.. I was in elementary school during the cuban missles crisis, and we did bomb drills
.. go into the halls, kneel and put your head down. wow . haven't we come a long way?

[madddog]

7. this isn't Ashcroft...

there is a seemingly pervasive attitude within law enforcement that supports this kind of thing...and it's been around for YEARS, long before Ashcroft became the AG. I've had conversations with some Federal LEO types over the years, both Dem and Repub, that would curl your hair!

Just look at the proliferation of SWAT teams in every town in the country, for example; a trend in place again way before 9/11...a proliferation of military weaponry and tactics that has already had tragic consequences all over the country, as the number of "no-knock" warrant cases gone awry increase almost daily.

These are the same folks who don't think the average Joe should be able to possess firearms, and see the rest of the Bill of Rights as an impediment to their jobs as well. There's a trend here...I've seen this quote around in various forms...but I think it apropos:

"When they took the 5th Amendment, I didn't speak up because I wasn't a criminal.

When they took the 4th Amendment, I didn't speak up because I didn't deal drugs.

When they took the 2nd Amendment, I didn't speak up because I don't own a gun.

When they took the 1st Amendment, I couldn't speak up."

Unless we all stand up at some point in time, it will only get worse and worse.

[Stilgar]

8. know the rules backwards and forwards

That is the only way to protect yourself and your property.

I carried the handbook in the back of my backpack just in case something happened.

They tried to search us for water guns one year. The rules said any search of a students personal property was to be conducted by a Teacher and an administrator. I got the class to agree that without an admin we would not be searched. With admin busy we left without being searched.

Then at the end of the year admin tried to deny they had to give back anything confiscated from that search and again I got out the rule book and showed the office lady the part about any materials taken from students will be returned at the end of the school year.

[1a2b3c]

13. You know i got arrested for a water gun once

I didnt shoot anyone just pointed the super-soaker at someone. When the cop arrested me he wouldnt tell me why. I had no idea cause the watergun was earlier in the day. I was of course pissed. Dont they have to tell you why you are being arrested? Sorry for getting off topic.

[beevul]

10. In the 70s....

My SO was in highschool in a school in NJ, and the school brought police in to search the students for drugs.

The students had a sit in, in back of the school, with 90 plus percent of the students in attendance. The class rooms each had like 2 or 3 students in them, and NOONE spilled the sit in to the faculty. Eventually, the faculty searched and found the thousand plus students outside, and all sitting in peacefull protest. They refused to move until the issue was resolved. The principal became an arbitrator, and they negotiated until it was agreed the police would leave, and did so.


Sadly, I fear that in these times, such a protest would be met with hostility, or worse yet, such a protest might never come to the minds of those effected by this trampling of rights.

Conditioned is the operative word where this business is concerned, and it scares the hell out of me.

[DonP]

11. The same police chiefs that say no ccw?

I'm old and my memory is fading, but don't we have folks around here constantly using police chiefs as great examples of "knowledgeable" authority figures that think CCW is dangerous too? I mean after all if some Ohio police chief objects to CCW it must be bad, right? (sarcasm off)

I wonder if these are some of the same police chiefs and cops that are quoted to us so often?

Seems like these self aggrandizing super citizens have a broader fascist view than I thought.

They don't like the 2nd or 4th amendment and they probably aren't too happy with that 1st either.