District 211 to begin random, unannounced drug searches with dogs

For the first time, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 will utilize canine units from local police departments this year to search for illegal drugs on campus.

Starting this month, police and certified dogs from Palatine, Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates, along with assistance from police departments in other towns, will perform random and unannounced searches at District 211 schools.

“This is about prevention,” said Palatine Police Chief John Koziol, noting that his department helps with canine searches at about four other school districts. “You just want the kids to know bringing a contraband to school is not a good idea.”

Each school will go into a soft lockdown when the searches are conducted and hallways will be cleared of students and staff. The searches will occur within a single class period and the dogs will have no contact with students.

Two dogs working independently from each other will be responsible for having each area searched twice.

Searches may occur in hallways, locker areas and parking lots. Any materials identified by the dogs, including those found in lockers or cars, may be quarantined, searched, confiscated or turned over to police. Several searches are scheduled to occur throughout the school year.

Daniel Cates, associate superintendent for administrative services at District 211, said parents, students and staff have been notified of the searches. Limiting the searches to one class period means the instructional day will be not disrupted, he added.

The district has a strong partnership with police, and when they offered the services principals decided to see how searches might help with the district’s ongoing mission to keep schools drug-free, Cates said.

“We would love to find no drugs ever in our schools,” he added “(But) it is likely that drugs are in our schools to some small degree and we are trying to take efforts that we can to remove drugs.”