COSTA MESA

District’s Use of Drug-Sniffing Dogs Expected

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District is expected to approve a plan tonight to use drug-sniffing dogs from the Costa Mesa Police Department to sniff around high school students’ lockers for illegal substances.

The plan calls for a fall semester program of random scent-searches of lockers, gym locker rooms and student parking lots at Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools and the district’s Alternative Education Center. All are in Costa Mesa.

If the plan is approved, the program would begin at Costa Mesa High School because students and parents have been notified.

Extending the program to Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar high schools, which are outside the jurisdiction of the Costa Mesa Police Department, has not been discussed.

The Newport Beach Police Department has agreed to cooperate if the program is extended districtwide, said school district spokeswoman Nadine Wilck.

The district and Costa Mesa police are promoting the plan as a deterrent to students who might bring drugs onto campuses. A similar effort in Huntington Beach reduced the drug presence once the searches begin, officials said.

People would not be subject to sniff searches under any circumstances. If a dog alerts the handler of possible drugs in a locker, the locker will be opened and searched, officials said.

If drugs were found, administrators would determine whether the drugs were for personal use or for sale and then police would take action.