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SCHOOL CANINE CONTRABAND DETECTION PROGRAM:

 

“On any given school day, how do you currently measure the presence of contraband

including drugs, alcohol and weapons on your school campus?” 

BACKGROUND AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

During the mid 1970's, the founders of Interquest introduced the use of trained detection canines in Texas.  Since then, the concept has gathered wide acceptance as a tool to validate and\or deter the presence of contraband on school campuses across the United States.  Interquest of Michigan began in 1994 and has provided contraband detection services over the years to over 125 school districts across the state of Michigan.  The intent of the Interquest program is to provide a proactive deterrent that minimizes the presence of contraband items on a school campus.  Interquest policy incorporates random routine inspections of school campuses including areas such as lockers, bathrooms, classrooms, gym and common areas as well as vehicles in the parking lots.  Interquest policy prevents any handler from discriminating against any single  individual\item, and our canines are not trained to sniff individuals.  The goal of the program is to provide schools with an effective way of deterring contraband from being on campus and providing a safe learning environment for all students. 

 Our canines are able to detect the following Contraband Items:

 

·        Illicit Drugs:   (Marijuana, heroine, cocaine, methamphetamine)

·        Alcoholic Beverages: (Beer, wine, liquor)

·        Gunpowder Items: (Guns, ammunition and fireworks)

·        Commonly Abused Medications: (Both prescription and over the counter)

 PROGRAM STRUCTURE:

 Assemblies\Presentations:  Interquest encourages new schools to begin their program by communicating with students, parents and the community regarding the use of our services.  Interquest can provide sample letters and press releases as well as school assemblies which include a demonstration of the canines’ abilities so that students understand the school is using a proactive deterrent for keeping contraband items off campus.  Board presentations can also be provided free of charge to any district interested in contracting our canine services.

 

Service Procedures: Once a school district has contracted for any number of visits, the school district will provide a district calendar and appoint one primary contact and additional secondary contacts should the primary be unavailable at the time of search.  The searches will be scheduled at Interquest's discretion to insure random and unannounced visits.  These visits will vary between morning and afternoon searches.  When the canine team arrives they will check in with the contact and receive instruction as to what areas are to be inspected on that day.  The contact may escort the team during the visit or provide equipment for radio contact.  The canine handler will provide a reasonable inspection of the areas requested and identify any alerts the canine may have.  When an item is detected, the canine will passively alert (sit) at the area where the greatest concentration of scent is coming from.  Once the alert is determined, the student is summoned to the area with a campus official present.  Our handler will then verify that the area of alert belongs to the student and will give the following standard handler speech:

 “Is this your locker\bag\vehicle?  My dog has shown an interest in your locker\bag\vehicle.  My dog is trained to detect the following substances: Illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroine and methamphetamine.  Alcohol such as beer, wine or liquor, either empty or full containers.  Gunpowder such as ammunition, firearms or fireworks and prescription or over the counter medications that are commonly abused.  These items also have a residual odor that would leave behind an odor if one of the items was recently present.  Can you think of a reason why my dog would show an interest in your locker\bag\vehicle?  Do you mind if we take a look at your locker\bag\vehicle?” 

 Once consent is given, the canine handler will conduct a reasonable inspection of the area\item.  The handler will thoroughly check areas of the locker, vehicle, etc. where contraband would most likely be found.  During this inspection, the student and campus official are asked to witness the handler’s actions. 

 Evidence Procedures: Any items that are found that are in violation of school policy are placed in a sealed evidence bag and reviewed with both the student and the campus official.  The chain of custody on any evidence will be maintained at all times.  Once the handler has completed the inspection, the student will be thanked for their time.  Any disciplinary action regarding items found will be the responsibility of the school.

 Reporting: All canine alerts are recorded on an Incident Maintenance Report and a copy is provided to the school.  Reports will be prepared at the conclusion of the visit for any evidence collected and searches conducted.  An annual report noting alerts for all visits can be provided at the district’s request.