By Kate Fulk and Karly Monson 

With the new school year, students have again been notified that there will be random drug dog searches.  When the search is announced, students are told to leave their backpacks and other belongings in the hallway, and stay seated in the classroom so School Resource Officer Cory Larsen and his K-9 companions can search throughout the building for drugs in students’ belongings.

According to Principal Heather McKay, a drug dog search is scheduled when suspicious activity is going on and brought to her attention by faculty. When she decides to schedule a search, only Larsen and herself know about it, and then the day of the search Superintendent Dr. Amstein is notified.  Not only are the dogs allowed to search throughout the building, it is also legal for cars to be sniffed by the dogs.  However, car searches are  unusual because McKay has to have solid information that drugs are an issue in students’ cars before they take action.

Throughout the drug search, Larsen and the dogs are looking for drugs of any kind in students’ belongings.  A problem with the searches is that the dogs  detect prescription drugs, and according to McKay, this is an issue that is in our building.  Though McKay chose not to comment on the success of the searches, she said she and Larsen make sure the rights of students and faculty are always protected throughout the drug searches.

Whether it’s the dogs searching through the halls of AHS or rotten banana’ in the stinky locker room’s triggering their attention, the searches are a mandatory tool.  McKay said, “I want Atlantic High School to be a safe environment for kids, and to be safe this is a tool I can use.  I’m not a fan of it, but I have to do it.”