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Storm swirls around drug sweep
Charleston Post & Courier ^ | 11/11/03 | STEVE REEVES AND ALLISON L. BRUCE

Posted on 11/11/2003 8:09:54 AM PST by CanisRex

GOOSE GREEK--Last Wednesday started out like most any other school day for Ray Glover, a senior at Stratford High School -- until police officers with guns drawn stormed into the school's cafeteria at 6:45 a.m. and began barking orders at startled students. The perplexed Glover said he had no idea what was happening, or why.

"The police came into the cafeteria with the dogs, and then they chased one kid down the hall," said Glover, a tall 19-year-old with braided hair who is known by the nickname "Bolo."

"I know that some students who've never seen a gun in their lives were really scared," he said.

Glover said an officer hustled him out of the cafeteria and into the hallway, placed plastic handcuffs on him and made him lie on the floor while his clothes and book bag were searched.

"He was yelling, telling me to get down," he said. "The police are crazy nowadays. If stuff like this keeps happening, a lot of students won't want to come back to school."

It's been nearly a week since the Goose Greek Police Department's drug sweep sparked both widespread criticism and a state law enforcement investigation. School officials -- tentatively, at least -- still stand behind the drug sweep, which netted no drugs or arrests. Questions about why police officers felt it necessary to draw their weapons on teenagers and whether black students were unfairly targeted have only grown more insistent.

Representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union plan to come to Goose Creek this week to investigate whether the group should sue, said Anjuli Verma, with the ACLU's drug policy litigation project in Washington, D.C.

Many Stratford students are more than willing to share their stories.

When Sam and Josh Ody stepped off the bus at Stratford High the morning of the drug search, they headed to their usual spots -- Sam, a senior, to the lunchroom, and junior Josh to the end of the hall by the stairwell where his friends congregate.

Shortly after Sam sat down in the cafeteria, a coach came up and told the students at his table to put their hands on the table. When the students asked why, they were told it was the principal's orders.

Then a police officer came over and bound Sam's hands behind his back with yellow restraints, took him into the hallway and told him to face the wall as a dog smelled his bag. He watched as his binders and folders were dumped out on the floor.

Then the principal, George McCrackin, patted him down, checked his shoes and took out his wallet, asking him where he got the approximately $100 he was carrying, Sam said. The student said he told McCrackin he had just gotten paid at his job at KFC.

"The people I hang out with are not drug dealers," Sam said. "We play basketball. We have nice clothes because we have jobs."

Down the hall, Josh was standing with his friends when he heard a rustling and felt something hit him in the back. When he turned around, he said, he saw a police officer standing behind him with his gun drawn.

"He told me to get down on the ground," said Josh, who then was instructed to put his hands behind his head and stay down.

Sam and Josh said that when the search was over, police told them that any innocent bystanders in the crowd should blame the search on the people bringing drugs to school. Then the students who had been bound were released and told to go to class.

Since Wednesday, Sam and Josh's father, Nathaniel Ody, has tried to meet with McCrackin to discuss why his sons were targeted. So far, Ody said, he hasn't had any luck. It's not like the Ody family isn't known at Stratford High -- four older siblings have been through the school, and both Sam and Josh are athletes.

The brothers and other students interviewed Monday were hesitant to say that race played a factor in the search, but they noted that police searched the hallway where black students tend to hang out and that most of the students involved were black males.

"They handled it the wrong way. Most people aren't used to officers pointing guns at them," said Gerney Glover, a freshman who was sitting near the auditorium and watched police run in with guns. "I really didn't like starting my freshman year off like this."

What the raid accomplished, though not in the best way, was a wake-up call, said senior Scott Rice. "If there were drugs in any school, they're not going to be for a while now."

Chester Floyd, superintendent of Berkeley County schools, said Monday that neither McCrackin nor any district official knew police would come in with guns drawn.

"Had we known that the method of search had changed, the principal would not have requested the intervention," Floyd said. "However, once police are on campus, they are in charge."

He declined to take a position on whether police acted correctly, saying the district would wait until the State Law Enforcement Division ends its investigation.

"But we understand fully the concerns of parents. We have similar concerns. I'm sorry for any student who experienced this if it was unwarranted," he said.

Floyd said he knew of no other drug sweep in any school nationwide in which police came in with guns at the ready. "We want to be first in a lot of things," he said. "But I'm not sure we want to be first in this."

Goose Greek police Lt. Dave Aarons has said several of the 14 officers who entered the school drew their guns as a matter of officer safety because drugs often go hand-in-hand with weapons.

Stratford High is the largest school in Berkeley County and second-largest statewide, with nearly 2,700 students. Because of its size, it has more surveillance than other schools in the county -- about 70 cameras that have been installed within the past two years.

Some parents accuse officers of targeting black students. About 70 percent of the 107 students who happened to be in the hallway are black. At that time in the morning, two early buses have dropped off students from predominately black neighborhoods.

Berkeley County schools will continue to hold unannounced drug sweeps using police dogs, Floyd said, but "the more routine kind," without guns drawn. The sweeps occur periodically at the schools, at principals' request. Generally, high schools hold two or three each year, he said.

"My concern," Floyd said, "is that we get back to some normalcy."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: South Carolina
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To: BUCKSBUD
Dr. Floyd and the District have taken the reasonable position that the school did not intend for this to happen the way it did.
The principal, McCrackin, is the one with no regrets. He's not responsible for the mess the police made but if he thinks the cops did nothing wrong, he need to be fired for poor judgement.
21 posted on 11/11/2003 8:53:23 AM PST by The Game Hen (brevity is the soul of wit)
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To: The Game Hen
That teacher you spoke to was right, the schools can't do anything to these rotten kids to get them thrown out. You should see these kids screaming obscenities at the principal in the school my wife works at.

They can't even give them after school detentions LOL hahahahahahahahahahaha. They have in school suspensions. The one teacher gives them candy and popcorn when they have in school suspensions.

Your tax dollars at work.

22 posted on 11/11/2003 8:55:17 AM PST by Cap'n Crunch
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To: BUCKSBUD
I remember an incident in this same county where individuals were robbed of $300,000.00 that they were keeping in their trunk. By the same token does anyone have any right whatsoever to inquire where the $300,000.00 cash came from? I'll give you three guesses where.......
23 posted on 11/11/2003 8:57:24 AM PST by The_Media_never_lie
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To: Cap'n Crunch
"I remember when the schools used to handle the discipline."

1965 grad, New Hanover High, Wilmington, NC... I remember the dean of MEN, Mr. Fred Capps. He ruled with the "Board of Education". It had holes drilled, and NOBODY ever complained about its use!
It usually was warranted, and the parents always supported him...

I also remember Mrs. Frances Formy-Duvall, my senior English Composition teacher. She was a battle-ax, that EXPECTED YOU TO LEARN HOW TO WRITE. She had taught my father, and when I came into her class, targeted me for being unruly. Apparently, she had memories of my Dad. (I never did anything wrong, I was just my dad's son!) I got A's in her course. I earned them!!!
24 posted on 11/11/2003 8:58:46 AM PST by pageonetoo (In God I trust, not the g'umt! and certainly not the Dims!)
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To: Cap'n Crunch
It's the easy way out for the parents and the schools.
25 posted on 11/11/2003 8:59:08 AM PST by Stew Padasso (Head down over a saddle.)
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To: pageonetoo
If a teacher paddled a kid in our school system he would be fired, the "parent" of the kid would be at the school causing quite a disturbance and the next day a lawsuit would be filed.

The times they are a changin'

26 posted on 11/11/2003 9:00:32 AM PST by Cap'n Crunch
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To: Cap'n Crunch
"the schools can't do anything to these rotten kids to get them thrown out."

They say they can't but I want proof. I want a judge to say it can't be done when every single one of them is forced into court.

You certainly can't if you don't try.
27 posted on 11/11/2003 9:01:12 AM PST by The Game Hen (brevity is the soul of wit)
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To: Stew Padasso
Your right, and the poor bonehead cops are stuck in the middle.

Cops don't belong in schools. Teachers need to bust heads again.

28 posted on 11/11/2003 9:01:40 AM PST by Cap'n Crunch
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To: The Game Hen
The teachers have told me it's because of the Federal Government and the "no child left behind" program.

You know, clean up the schools and get re-elected.

29 posted on 11/11/2003 9:02:56 AM PST by Cap'n Crunch
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To: CanisRex
Stratford High is the largest school in Berkeley County and second-largest statewide, with nearly 2,700 students. Because of its size, it has more surveillance than other schools in the county -- about 70 cameras that have been installed within the past two years.

They have 70 cameras in the school and can't find out who is dealing? I find that hard to believe.
I also think that this type raid is on very shakey ground since only SOME students were subjected to this search. Like only checking the cars you want at a license check. What dumba%% cop would only search 2 occupants of a car with 4 suspected drug dealers in it.
This whole thing stinks so bad it's not funny.
TALK ABOUT A POLICE STATE THIS IS IT.
30 posted on 11/11/2003 9:05:16 AM PST by BUCKSBUD
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To: Cap'n Crunch
"I wish alot of you people here could come inside the public school system, even the one here in our city."

They came in with guns drawn and riot gear. They pointed the guns at unarmed individuals with no reason or provocation.

Which part of this story has escaped you?
31 posted on 11/11/2003 9:05:53 AM PST by webstersII
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To: Cap'n Crunch
The cops, and their CO, lacked enough sense to question whether this was a good idea. More than enough stupidity to go around.

If you were interviewing a potential hire for a PD and they could not tell you immediately that raiding a school with an almost total lack of information is a bad idea, you would, of course, not hire that person. Why would you retain them if they already worked at the PD?
32 posted on 11/11/2003 9:07:42 AM PST by eno_ (Freedom Lite - it's almost worth defending)
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To: CanisRex
Another argument for school vouchers.
33 posted on 11/11/2003 9:08:13 AM PST by samtheman
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To: The Game Hen
" The teachers also insisted that we would feel differently if we could have heard the audio. Some of those kids were mouthing off! (I bet some were even chewing gum!)"

I would not only encourage my kid to mouth off, but I would also support him by being at the Police Chief's office THAT DAY mouthing off myself. This kind of BS has to stop before someone gets tired of it and people begin losing their lives.

This entire thing is ludicrous.
34 posted on 11/11/2003 9:16:53 AM PST by Leatherneck_MT (If you continue to do what you've always done, you will continue to get what you've always got)
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To: The_Media_never_lie
Big difference between $100 and $300,000 and as far as I'm concerned in you're description the people were victoms after being robbed. They may need to explain that loss to the IRS.
35 posted on 11/11/2003 9:16:56 AM PST by BUCKSBUD
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To: Cap'n Crunch; archy; Jeff Head; Travis McGee
Don't blame the police.

Screw that. The police are professionals. If some segment of the community asks them to go round up all the Jews in the city, does that excuse it. HELL NO. They, not their supporters, are supposed to understand the limits of the law. This means both individually, as a sworn officer, and collectively as a force.

In showing such complete lack of common sense and disregard for the highest law of the land they have, rightfully, opened themselves up to ridicule and lawsuit.

Were I the parent of a child treated in this way you can bet I would be suing everyone involved for large amounts of money, as well as working to organize a class action against the school, the police, the principle, the chief of police and the school board. My goal would be to bankrupt all them, which would definately send the message "you can't pull guns on kids at school, handcuff them, and smack them around because you think there are drug dealers at the school" or, perhaps more simply "this is not the USSR".

Now the cops do what they are trained to do and we suddenly have a problem with it.

If cops are being trained to randomly arrest and search individuals suspected of no crime our Republic is gone, we had better train our kids to fight tyranny - because it is here.

36 posted on 11/11/2003 9:19:04 AM PST by Jack Black
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To: Jack Black
WELL PUT !!!!!
37 posted on 11/11/2003 9:22:47 AM PST by BUCKSBUD
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To: Jack Black
Been training mine to do that their entire lives.

Either with the spoken word and constitutional activism, with yours truly serving as as good an example as I could make...or, if necessary and God forbid, with their firearms (side arms, shot guns and long rifles), which they are all also trained to use.

38 posted on 11/11/2003 9:23:59 AM PST by Jeff Head
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To: BUCKSBUD
AHHhhhh.

Yet another strategic victory in the War On Drugs. Don't think that just because no drugs were found that this wasn't a tactical success... because it was.

Right.

Blame this ineffectual Gestapo stupidity on the kids who bring drugs to school (where no drugs were found).

It would be funny if it weren't so tragic a portrayal of the futility of the badly failed WOD.

The Drug Czar likes to say that buying drugs is tantamount to supporting Terrorism. It isn't.

It's keeping the drugs illegal which forces the money into the hands of terrorists. It is the WOD which is directly and solely responsible for this.

39 posted on 11/11/2003 9:24:28 AM PST by Gargantua (Embrace clarity.)
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To: The Game Hen
McCrackin, is the one with no regrets. He's not responsible for the mess the police made but if he thinks the cops did nothing wrong, he need to be fired for poor judgement.

Nah. He needs to have guys with guns take him down is in his own home.

That school and town's not safe. There are terrorists there.

-archy-/-

40 posted on 11/11/2003 9:24:28 AM PST by archy (Angiloj! Mia kusenveturilo estas plena da angiloj!)
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