Lawmen Sweep through School

On May 1 law enforcement officials swept down on Jasper County Middle and High Schools. Jasper County canine deputy Charles Cook coordinated the day’s activities with several law enforcement agencies.

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Representatives of the sheriff’s offices from Greene, Newton and Rockdale Counties, the Department of Corrections, and the U.S. Forest Service and a Faux K-9 instructor were all involved in the morning search of the school facility for any illegal drug material, according to Jay Brinson, school superintendent.

Jasper County Sheriff Charles Roper and Investigator David Ledford were also involved in the search.

This activity served two purposes—it was a training activity supervised by the Faus K-9 instructor and it sent a message to students that illegal drugs are unacceptable on the school campus, the superintendent’s announcement said.

The procedures for this school drug sweep were different from those used in the past. This time, students were removed from selected classrooms, and the drug sniffing dogs went into the room. While the school has lockers, most students keep their belongings in a book bag. The book bags were left in the classroom.

As students left each classroom, they were monitored by school officials and officers, the announcement said. As one eighth grade student left the classroom, an officer noticed the student secretively place an unidentified item in the armpit area, the announcement said.

Another student told the teacher that the student had brought something out of the classroom and given something to another student, said the announcement. Campus police officers responded to the information by searching the named student and the others in that classroom.

As a result of the officer’s search, items alleged to be marijuana seeds and a pipe used for smoking marijuana were found on the student. The student’s parent was notified and disciplinary consequences were applied, according to the announcement.

Searches of high school classrooms and the parking lot yielded no illegal substances, the superintendent’s announcement said. However, witnesses said a dog did “hit” on at least one vehicle, jumping up on it and scratching it.

From the beginning of the operation when the faculty and students were notified of the lockdown until it ended some two hours later, teachers continued the instructional program, according to the announcement.

Except for the short periods of time when students were carefully removed from the classroom to allow the dogs to work the room—each room took less than 10 minutes—the student day continued with only a mild change to the daily schedule.

The lockdown procedure is part of the school’s crisis management plan that is designed for student and staff safety, said the announcement. It is important to periodically practice these procedures as a part of the school’s preparation to deal with other emergencies.

It is always hoped that illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia will not be found. When they are found in student possession on a Jasper County school campus, disciplinary consequences, up to and including expulsion, and criminal charges as appropriate, will follow.