Drug searches at ROCSD to employ dogs
The Red Oak School District and the Red Oak Police Department are partnering on a plan to aid in combating drugs.
Police Chief Justin Rhamy met with the Red Oak School Board at their regular meeting last week. Rhamy said plans are to use drug dogs to do searches of the schools.
“We want to provide a clean and safe environment for students, staff, and anyone who may be in or out of the building. I’ve had conversations with Tom Messinger and others in the community who think it’s a great idea,” Rhamy said.
Messinger said it isn’t because a drug problem has worsened that the district favors proceeding with searches. He said it is going ahead merely to send a message.
“We want it known we’re doing everything we can to keep drugs and substances out of the school that don’t belong there. I think it’s something that can become a part of operations that sends a message out to people and lets them know we’re doing what we can to keep the school safe and supportive, and we have the full cooperation of the police department,” Messinger said.
The searches would be kept as random as possible, with Messinger notifying anyone that needed to be beforehand. Messinger said searches with drug dogs are plentiful statewide.
“Among the schools that engage in these searches are Davenport, Burlington, Muscatine, and Bettendorf. We did them at Eddyville-Blakesburg and half the schools in the conference with us participated in them as well. I think it’s better to make them part of our regular operating procedure, rather than wait for a major event, and be proactive against drugs,” commented Messinger.
Messinger added the overall goal would be to find nothing, but he felt that no school could consider themselves exempt. The search would take place in the parking lot as well as in the building itself.
“I’ve seen this make a huge difference, and at the schools I’ve been to prior, the students really appreciated it. Usually when drugs are found at a school, it’s the result of a student reporting it to administration. That tells you that there are students at every school who want to keep this kind of stuff outside of the building,” commented Messinger.
The drug dogs for the searches will be provided by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Messinger said families have been notified through the student handbook that the school reserves the right to search lockers and school property.