Student Suspended After Police Dog Smells Drugs

WTOC, Savannah, GA ^ | 03/09/04 | Don Logana

[ActionNewsBill]

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03/09/04
Student Suspended After Police Dog Smells Drugs

Has school drug enforcement gone too far? A savannah mother thinks so after her 16-year-old son got suspended. Police say their drug dog smelled marijuana and cocaine on his backpack. It all started with a routine drug check at Jenkins High School yesterday morning. It ended with student Renard Powers getting suspended, based only on a smell. His mother says he is a victim of an overzealous school drug policy.

Renard is your typical 16-year-old. A "B" student, he's in school chorus, and spends most of his free time on his computer. When Jenkins High campus police called his name for a random drug check, he didn't think twice. "They searched our classroom, lined us up outside in the hallway, and had us empty our pockets," he recalled.

Then, the police dog started sniffing his backpack. "They told me my bag smelled like marijuana and cocaine," Renard said.

"This was something that was just bogus," said Renard's mom, Lanore Smith. She says her son has never had a problem in school. "They can check his record. He is a good kid."

When police searched Renard's bag, they found some books and papers, all the normal stuff a kid who goes to school would have. They did not find any drugs but suspended Renard and charged him with passive participation. The school calls it part of its zero-tolerance policy. "Students and parents need to understand that," said school board spokesman James Harvey.

Harvey says the schools trust the judgment of the police and school administrators. "They are the professionals, doing this a long time," he said. "These are people we trust."

"They're professionals," agreed Smith, "but I've seen those dogs screw up, lots of times."

She and Renard hope the school will reevaluate its decision. "I don't want it following him," she said. "He wants to go to college. He wants to do things."

"I'm just confused, cause I'm getting accused of something I didn't do," said Renard.

The first thing Renard says he will be doing is getting a new backpack. His mom plans on fighting the suspension, even if it means getting a lawyer. She hopes to meet with school officials today to clear Renard's name and record.

Reported by: Don Logana, dlogana@wtoc.com

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[ActionNewsBill]

Is this America?

[ActionNewsBill]

Bump

[ActionNewsBill]

bump

[eno_]

All searches based on "drug dogs" should be thrown out of court. The dogs get it wrong too often, and the handlers que the dogs to indicate.

[Rifleman]

Nah, couldn't be. America is a free country...I know we were free once, I can remember it.

[THEUPMAN]

but if you’re innocent you have nothing to fear ...

except having your future ruined


and besides , we have to protect the jobs of the ... oops ... I mean the CHILDREN

[FreedomPoster]

So where are the FR drug warriors on this one?

Time for a massive lawsuit. Too bad it will be paid by the taxpayers, and not by the individuals in the school who made this decision.

[Notasoccermom]

Is this really the whole story? How many other pack packs were suspicious? Were any of this kid's friends implicated? Could he have once hidden a stash for a friend and is covering for them? Did the school authorities have any other information? I honestly don't think they would suspend based solely on a whiff. There may be some other information that did not make the mother's telling of the story.

[ActionNewsBill]

All searches based on "drug dogs" should be thrown out of court.

Unfortunately, this kid didn't get his day in court.

[FormerACLUmember]

The kid had a smelly salami sandwich fours days prior (a doggy favorite) and he gets suspended without cause? Liberalism urinates on our Bill of Rights.

[boxerblues]

Let the school pay for a drug test, they want to accuse him let them prove it. This kid should not of been suspended on a whiff.

[TankerKC]

Hmmmmm...more to this story?

[ActionNewsBill]

The kid had a smelly salami sandwich fours days prior (a doggy favorite) and he gets suspended without cause? Liberalism urinates on our Bill of Rights

That's probably why the dogs "hit" on the bag.

Harvey says the schools trust the judgment of the police and school administrators. "They are the professionals, doing this a long time," he said. "These are people we trust."

They aren't trusting the "professionals", they're trusting the arbitrary reactions of a police dog.

[ActionNewsBill]

So where are the FR drug warriors on this one?

They'll just say he deserved it.

[moonman]

"The school calls it part of its zero-tolerance policy. "Students and parents need to understand that," said school board spokesman James Harvey."

The only thing the students and PARENTS need to understand is: 'The School Board and administration are a bunch of irrational, unabled to think for themselves Socialist morons and need to be replaced.'

[TalBlack]

"So where are the FR drug warriors on this one?"



"They'll just say he deserved it."

I don't know what this has to do with the specific charge--it could be ANY charge.

The problem here is that Police once understood that dogs INDICATE a thing and it must then be borne out by HUMAN investigation. And now by virtue of the dumbing down of our society, they no longer understand this. In fact they are so taken with their eliteisim and professionalisim that they have no qualms about pronouncing this kid guilty.

"We're Police--LEO's we have spoken! Do not oppose us!"

This whole thing would have been impossible even 10 years ago.

[G L Tirebiter]

charged him with passive participation.

As Orwellian turn of a phrase as I've read in quite some time.

[js1138]

My kid got one of these drug sniffing dog alerts in school 15 years ago. We had a female in heat at home and the sniffer was male.

I know kids can fool their parents, but I'd have a lawyer on this one.

[raybbr]

I thought this was pretty obvious:

Then, the police dog started sniffing his backpack. "They told me my bag smelled like marijuana and cocaine," Renard said.

How did the dog tell the cops that is smelled these drugs?

[Oztrich Boy]

Police say their drug dog smelled marijuana and cocaine on his backpack

Yah Right.

OK Lassie is there cocaine there? bark once for no, twice for yes.
Woof Woof
Crystal Meth?
Woof
Heroin?
Woof
Marijuana?
Woof Woof
OK kid you're busted