ORANGE : Chief Defends Use of Drug-Sniffing Dogs

Police Chief John R. Robertson on Wednesday defended the use of police dogs sniffing school buses for drugs, and he said that at no time did students and dogs ever come in contact.

Robertson also said his department is considering use of police dogs to sniff for drugs around student lockers on school campuses.

Robertson commented on police dog use in the wake of the disclosure this week by Huntington Beach Union High School District that it may allow police dogs to sniff student lockers while students are in classes.

Some officials in Huntington Beach said that Orange’s police dog program had caused a public uproar because dogs and students had come into contact.

But Robertson said police dogs never got close to Orange students during three separate school bus searches last fall.

“In all the (bus) searches, a school administrator was present, and the search was conducted by a juvenile investigator who talked to the kids, explained what was going on, and made it an educational experience,” Robertson said.

He said children on the bus filed off and walked to an area away from the search. Police dogs and handlers did not get near the school buses until all the children had left, Robertson said.

“The vast majority of people here (in Orange) are in favor of this program,” Robertson said. He said most of the complaints in January came from people who said they hadn’t been told that searches were planned. No parent of a child on any of the searched buses complained about the procedure, Robertson said.

“People here are interested in keeping drugs off school campuses,” the chief said.

Robertson said police have not resumed school bus searches since December. But he said more searches would be made if police think that they are necessary. “If the need arises, we will (resume),” Robertson said.