This was uncalled for the police search few room not at random it seemed to be classes that contained student with prior incidents bags were torn open items were tossed around and all student were concerned being in a "lockdown" for 1 hour.

I for one support this measure. Bringing police-trained K9's into our schools is the only way we're going to keep kids off drugs. This sends them a clear message: if you do drugs, you will be ripped to pieces by angry German Shepherds .

I support it too. Especially since the public has asked for tougher responses to drug use by our youth. I'm glad you were concerned for 1 hour; that's what a lock down situation is about. The dogs determined what was searched and if they also searched lockers of youth with prior incidents, so be it. That's what happens when you have prior "incidents", you are automatically suspect. That's a real world consequence for past behavior. The lock down was within the School/Town policy that all students and parents receive each year and sign a document that we have read it.

That's very ignorant the drill was described over the intercom as a lockdown drill not a search by 15 dogs and you know what they may have torn apart kids bags who had prior incidents (years ago and are clean now ) but they didn't find anything. They just disrupted belonging . The kids that got caught were the freshman class that think there all that. The reading police needs to stop profiling because everytime there wrong .

Many kids were nervous about an actual problem like an armed person in the school. The police were only able to bust the kids going out and smoking pot after school, real great job. The school failed in catching anyone selling any substantial amount of drugs. Waste of the tax money they should focus on the older bums that graduated school who are selling drugs to our kids.

I think this was wrong!!! I feel it was a violation of our kids privacy. Then to go to only certain rooms.... that's wrong! if you were going to do something like that you should go room to room and check everything. Why make only some kids feel like criminals, if your going to do something this morally wrong at least to it to everyone. The school and the PD are failing us and our kids. Plus.... It didn't solve anything, if anything they probably make things worse. Now the kids are going to do things like this just out of spite. What you've never met a teenager? Never mind it's half the PD's fault in the first place that things like this are even happening. If they didn't always run the kids out of everywhere public they probably wouldn't be hanging out in basements and other towns doing drugs. Kids can't even sit on a bench in the center of town without the police telling them to "move it along". Where are they supposed to go? Not all kids play sports or other activities after school. (Not that the town cares enough to maybe lower the prices of some of the after school programs so that all kids could join) What are they to do? Where are they to go? I believe that you get what you give, and if you give kids nothing to do and nowhere to go then you get bored kids and drugs. I feel that they kinda brought it on themselves. So.. bring dogs in to our schools and scare the crap out of our kids, cause that will solve everything, right?!?. And they didn't even tell parents... WRONG!

It is my opinion that it is not the police department's job to "fix" the drug problem. It is the responsibility of the individual first and foremost to make better choices. If the person is using drugs because their friends "made" them, get different friends if you want your life to change. No one can make you do anything unless you are invested in that choice - one chooses to take drugs for their own reasons whether to fit in, block out reality or just for something to do. It is not the Town of Reading's job to try and help you figure out what to do in your spare time - again, there is that responsibility word that keeps popping up. There are lots of ways to keep busy other than sports or pre-arranged activities organized by another group for your benefit. Parents for a long time have ensured that all your free time was engaged in one way or another, and now that the students at the high school are responsible for engaging themselves, it is a lot more difficult because the initiative has to come from you, not from someone else.

This drill was a necessary tool for keeping our youth safe, ensuring our town is prepared for an actual emergency and to also continue to remind everyone of the message that it is not okay to assume the drug problem isn't there or that it just isn't impacting your child.

The privacy of anyone under 18 is not the same for those that are over 18 - that's a fact of life and all students should realize that and get over it.

Thank you Dr. Doherty. You and the police should be commended for this action.

@ Sara, "Now the kids are going to do things like this just out of spite."
What???
So kids are going to do drugs because the police are cracking down on them doing drugs?
"Then to go to only certain rooms.... that's wrong!"
The police went to those rooms because that's where the students were whose lockers were a "hit". And, yes the usual suspects were rounded up. No surprises there.

@Sarah Kirby
Please review my response to "A Student" as many of the same messages in there apply to you as well. The sooner you figure out that you are responsible for yourself and what your life is like, the happier and better off you'll be. In 5-10 years from now, after you graduate, you'll come to realize that the "cool kids" or the "in" crowd are actually the one's who studied & got good grades, did extra credit projects, joined clubs, did community service, went home early, checked in with their parents, etc (the nerds). For they will be the ones who get good jobs, build good relationships and get to do the things they like to do.
The groups that you may currently think are "kool", the ones who "spite the PD", hang out all night and sleep until noon, focus their entire existence on drinking, drugs, hooking up etc. They are the ones who will be waiting on, serving or working for the "nerds". Their lives will be full of pain, misery and resentment because they wasted the 4 short years (actually only about 38-40 months) in HS thinking they knew better. The longer you wait the harder it will get to get yourself on the right track. Knock that chip off your shoulder and do yourself, your family and your community some good and make the right decisions now.

Two thoughts...
We must do what we need to do, to do what we want to do.
Whether you think you can or you think you can't, your right.

I feel I can't vote on this topic because I'm torn - as a recent graduate of course I would vote no, but as someone who understands the societal concern over drugs I would vote yes. I'm not going to argue on the morality of this or whether I think the action was right or wrong. I think that it is full within the school's rights to bring canines and the police to the school. My problem lies with this particular event, and how they handled it, especially in calling it a "drill".

I know an upperclassman at the high school, and he was very bothered by this event. The students were given very little information, and he thought the reason they called it simply a surprise "lockdown drill" was because there was a shooter in the building. He felt it didn't seem at all like a drill and given his lack of information could come to no other conclusion than that the students were in imminent danger. I felt from the start that it was wrong to call this a "drill", and this student's testimony only supported my thoughts. By all means, randomly bring search dogs and police to look for drugs - surprise is the best way to discover illegal items. But don't call it a drill. "Drill" implies practice for a future event. If you bring in dogs and actually have them search classrooms, you are at least expecting the possibility of finding drugs. It is an operation, not a drill, and should be explained as such on the day of the search.

I am a parent in Wakefield and I wish we did this at the middle school and high school here. I attended a 'drug recognition acadamy' several years ago put on by the Wakefield PD and this type of search was discussed as a very effective way to cut down on drugs in our schools.

I also got to see one dog in action in the room we were in find "drugs" taped under a chair. It was a little scary. I also understand the comments above and why they felt it was scary for the kids. Having said that I'd rather my child get scared out of doing drugs! If a child doing drugs, or thinking about doing drugs gets really scared out of it than way to go !! If your child comes home scared/angry/upset about "what the school did" consider it a great opportunity to talk with your child. Ask them to think about how scary jail might me!

I am also glad no one told the parents as they defeats the purpose - kids could hear you talking about it on the phone etc.

I think Reading is really lucky that the school administration, police and anyone else involved in arranging this took the time to do so.

I am the parent of a Freshman daughter and I would rather her come home shaken up by a lock down than by continually seeing her peers drunk and stoned in the hallways, the parking lot, the bathrooms. Shake as many backpacks out as you need to, toss a few protractors around, do whatever you have to in order to send a loud message of zero tolerance.

Kudos to the superintendant and the RPD for this. I only hope that if drugs were found -as I heard they were - that those in possession are expelled from school, for good.

Ever consider the fact that dogs are best at finding cannabis, but they are terrible at detecting pharmaceuticals and chemicals? Ever consider the fact that a student who is getting high before class might turn to other more dangerous yet less detectable drugs if searches like this become frequent? Dogs might make fewer students bring cannabis to school, but at the cost of more kids using percocet and other prescription narcotics. Is that REALLY what Reading needs? Grow up and face the facts.

Interesting point Rick, but it seems like you're making a fairly big jump. Consider the reasons why someone would choose to smoke cannabis. It's relatively cheap (unlike prescription drugs), it's relatively harmless (unlike prescription drugs), and it's relatively easy to obtain (unlike prescription drugs). While it is a possibility that some students may turn to harder drugs, it is more likely that most would merely leave their supply at home, which, at the very least, keeps the drugs out of schools. Saying that searching the school will lead to students switching to prescription narcotics is like saying that putting brethalyzers outside a school dance will lead to a higher percentage of students using "club drugs" like ecstasy, which can be brought in easily and don't show up on the meters. While it is a possibility, it is not the most likely scenario.

Contrary to Sarah Kirby's opinion about teenagers wanting to spite the PD - which is absolutely absurd - I know many RMSH students and I cannot imagine even one of them feeling this way. In fact, the few HS students I've spoken to about the recent search had no problems with it. Why should they if they're not hiding drugs or had previously spited the PD? Sarah, who are your kids hanging with?

Does anyone know the present legal consequence for a person caught with drugs in a school zone? Is it a mandatory jail sentence?

@Nikki Yes. The law currently requires a mandatory minimum sentence of jail time for a drug-related school zone infraction. I know for a charge of possession with intent to distribute in a school zone the MM is two years incarceration. I'm not sure what that would be for straight possession in a school zone, though. Does anyone know the answer?
Here's a link to a jury instruction sheet from a school zone case. It lays out all the criteria, etc...
http://www.mass.gov/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/districtcourt/jury-instructions/criminal/pdf/7860-school-zone-drug-violation.pdf

@Nikki My understanding is that it comes down to having things individually wrapped for resale, if that makes sense. I'm not sure about amounts, though.

You are all very wrong. The cannabis problem DOES lead to other drugs. I am a advocate of legalizing cannabis, and even I believe that if cannabis is illegal there is a gateway effect. The gateway effect does not come from the drug itself but the exposure to the black market that kids get into so early. Specifically people looking to escape by getting high (generally the kids bringing that stuff to school) are A LOT more likely to move to drugs they can get away with.

As for your point about kids not using "club drugs" as a result of breathalizers I can say without a doubt you are wrong. It might not be big now, but it DOES exist. If you keep up searches like this there are bound to be more kids going to their pot connection and trying to get other drugs. And for you to say that these drugs are more expensive than pot is absurd. Most illegal chemicals are a lot cheaper than cannabis by the dose (like $4 a dose as opposed to $20 for a gram of cannabis.)

If you want to keep the kids safe and drug free until they are out of highschool I suggest you support HR 2306, a bill in Congress that proposes ending prohibition and getting these drugs out of the hands of our kids and criminals.

If you think the answer is more dogs and more searches, I hope you regret that when your kids or grandkids are using drugs you didn't even know exist.

And don't try and spit back the rhetoric about how legal cannabis for law abiding citizens over 21 years old will lead to increased drug use. Right no drug dealer checks the ID of the person buying pot. It's a lot easier for many kids to get pot from their friends than to get a 21 year old to buy them alcohol. Treating pot the same way will make it just as difficult.

Honestly, any police search of the school isn't going to stop any of the kids using drugs from using them. Kids can be ignorant. Lets not try and say we all have done things we regretted. It's hard to tell a kid that they'll regret doing something in the future. Their minds aren't far sighted. In reality, I think the town needs to put it's money towards more activities or lessen the cost of preexisting activities that kids can partake in. Then kids who are indecisive about drug use but may get sucked into it have other ways to occupy their time. A K9 search really isn't going to solve anything. Kids who have marihuana at school are probably so far into taking drugs now that even if their parents find out and they get caught they most likely wouldn't stop. They'll have to figure out for themselves drugs are bad. Unfortunately their parents may not make a big impact tell those kids no, and the police certainly won't.

@Mr White - I take issue with the assumptions you make about high school students. The qualities that you list when describing "nerds" (getting good grades, involvement in activities), are not mutually exclusive with drug use. "Focus[ing] their entire existence on drinking, drugs, hooking up etc," as you say, is not synonymous with drug use. Although it is true that high school students who are, for example, drug dealers, or heavily involved in drug culture, are less likely to be successful in life, you have to realize that canine "busts" like this one do not necessarily catch students such as these. As a recent grad, I can say from personal experience that there are plenty of students who use marijuana in high school (and yes, even use it frequently) who have already gone on to attend top notch colleges and universities, and who undoubtedly have successful careers ahead of them.
While I realize that every student should, and I'm sure does, know not to bring drugs to school, I think that these types of measures do nothing to keep the "bad kids" from associating with the "good kids" who are on the right track. They are just as likely to catch a kid who gets good grades, does sports or other activities, and is going to attend college and happens to have a joint in his backpack as a hardcore drug dealer.

George hit the nail on the head. Thank you.

A final thought - I sincerely hope that you are not a teacher or coach with that attitude. The last thing high schoolers need is another person categorizing them into the "good" and "bad" kids, nerds and cool kids. Honestly, you sound like a stereotypically cliquey high schooler yourself. Someone using drugs (especially relatively harmless ones like marijuana) is not a valid way to judge their character or predict their future, and your sweeping judgements are shallow and hasty.

This isnt Russia we dont need to waste our tax money on searching 15 to 18 year old kids, notice how they didnt find anything...because they targeted kids who they thought would be the ones, but they were wrong, reading pd needs to find the real masterminds behind the drug problems in reading and it starts with percocets not marijuana, you wana talk about a gateway drug..ALCOHOL

It starts with the parents, but sometime it wont matter what morals you taught your kid, how nice of a boy he use to be, the grades he once got...Pills can and will drag down any kid, so its not about the 3 freshman who got caught with a joint in their bag its about the scumbags doing pills and heroine draging down every kid they can just so they can get their fix, and they'll do anything to get it, steal from their friends lie to their mom and dad, until finally all their friends are iether dead, jail, or doing nothing with their life, and the very few who stuck to their morals got out.

@ Mike Trumble Your comment has been deleted for profanity. You can swear as much as you like, just not here.

I don't think the intent of the raid was to find half smoked joints/blunts whatever they call them these days. I think the intent was to send a message to students that people are watching and that zero tolerance means just that....it won't stop anyone from smoking pot but it might stop them from bringing it to school and that is at least one step in the right direction. I for one would like breathalyzers at the doors there is more booze drinking during school hours than pot smoking I bet.

The Reading PD should run the dogs through RMHS once a week. Oh, Mrs. freedmon, please see Mr. White's justified admonishment of A student whose commentary, like yours, is overflowing with illiteracy.

Rick,
So you feel that legalizing pot " will keep the kids safe & drug free"
Wow Dude....really?? So that the solution to it huh.
Sounds to me like you have an agenda here & I don't want to debate this here in this forum which is "Are random drug searches at the high school a good idea"
Rick, your comparison to Pot vs alcohol is doppy (sorry) We as a community have a problem with young people using/dealing illegal drugs and some are dying because of it, we should use every resource at our disposal to insure the safety of our children while they are in school.If we had a gun problem here in Reading I would bet that we would have metal detectors at all the entrances at all the schools.Lets be proactive on this issue and support the RPD & Reading School Superintendent for their efforts in keeping our kids safe.

TO:
M.R.Petruccio where have you been this past year?? I know the they have news in VT.

We do not live in an authoritarian society. You can not control all the drug use in our schools. It is going to happen somewhere one way or another. These kids are adults and they can make their own decisions about how they use drugs. They have been informed of the consequences of drug use when they go out into the world. Unless there is a serious disruption to the educational process at the high school, I feel that routine drug searches are completely unnecessary. If you keep on trying to control the habits of these kids something is going to give eventually and you will not like the outcome.

"these kids are adults"....really.....my 14 year old is an adult? FYI their is a serious disruption to the educational process when stoned and drunk students are staggering down the halls. And that is a fact not a speculation and if your in doubt call the officer on duty at the school or better yet come to the next pep rally.

"Rick, your comparison to Pot vs alcohol is doppy (sorry)"

You're a fool. I can go to a liquor store and $20 can get me enough alcohol to kill myself twice just from overdose. Even smoking $1000 worth of cannabis will not cause overdose. You cannot expect me to believe that alcohol is less dangerous than cannabis. Alcohol has a deeper rooted place in Western culture, and that's the only reason it is legal and cannabis is not.

I had eight children graduate from Reading High and this drug problem was not a concern back then. Was so shocked to hear all of this as Reading was one of the nicest places to raise a family back then. What has happened

Jean your kidding yourself, I graduated from RMHS and have lived here for over 40 years... its always been a problem you just did not know about it

I'm a student at Rmhs and I can honestly say some kids were scared by the dogs and others just laughed. I don't understand how some of you parents think its the schools job to take care of the drug problem. It's like I know who all the druggies are, how do you not see your own kid is one of them. I hear most of the kids who do drugs talking about there crappy home lives and it makes me mad that parents blame everyone but themselves. In no way do I condone the use of drugs and alcohol though. There is no excuse. But no matter what we do no one is ever going to be happy. And about the whole, " this is a gateway into harder drugs" that's a load of crap. I really can't see that happening. Also I'm not hearing many people talking about alternitive solutions.