One issue that caught my eye was the issue of drug searches and seizures in schools. The main concern is whether or not random drug searches are constitutional. Also, are drug searches really effective? In this article I read in the New York Times, some schools conducted searches with drug sniffing dogs and resulted in little to no drugs found. Concerns have been raised on whether or not these drug searches are conducive to the learning environment. There have been complaints that these searches arouse intimidation and pressure among the students. Another concern is whether or not these searches are an invasion of privacy. Some would say that it is not because the lockers in which students store their things are school property and therefore, the school has the right to search the lockers whenever they want. In the case of one school mentioned in the article, Sachem High School North, the drug searches are not set on any schedule and are not announced ahead of time to the students. It makes me wonder whether or not the schools/law enforcement have any reason to believe that the students are keeping drugs in school. Finally, are the searches really effective? I believe that just because the police do not find any drugs in schools doesn't mean that the students are using drugs outside of school. So it brings the question of whether or not these drug searches really prevent students from using drugs?
The article I read: Drug-Sniffing Dogs Patrol More Schools
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