Drugs found in only one of eight D211 searches

Out of eight drug searches involving police dogs at District 211 schools this year, drugs have only been found once.

Last Thursday, a 17-year-old girl was arrested at Hoffman Estates High School after an item of drug paraphernalia and a small amount of marijuana were found in her car during a random search, said Sgt. Darin Felgenhauer of the Hoffman Estates police department.

“I think it’s a good idea. It’s a deterrent,” Felgenhauer said of the searches. “Whether or not they find drugs is a side note. It deters kids from bringing drug material onto school grounds.”

The teen was not formally charged because she is a juvenile.

“Obviously, the message is getting out to kids that we’re serious about this,” said Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 spokesman Tom Petersen. “Police are certainly doing a good job on their end.”

Each school has had a random drug search with police dogs at least once this school year, Petersen said. The searches moved from inside schools to include school parking lots last Thursday, starting with Hoffman Estates High School, then with Conant High School last Friday and again with Palatine High School on Tuesday.

It is the first year the district has used police dogs to search for drugs on school grounds.

“The police have been great,” said Dan Cates, associate superintendent for administrative services, adding that the district does not have frequent drug violations in general.

“It’s really a fortunate service to our schools and to the community.”