Dogs sniff for drugs

In a cooperative effort between the school and city, Pea Ridge and Bentonville Police searched Pea Ridge High School and Pea Ridge Academy and the vehicles in the parking lot with drug-detecting dogs Tuesday, Jan. 14.

"I thought the police did an outstanding job. Sgt. Brown did an outstanding job of planning it. We all worked together; it was outstanding," Jon Laffoon, high school principal, said.

"School Resource and Police Sgt. Lon Brown and the school administration have been working hand in hand to do some things that would serve our students better from safety standpoint," Laffoon said, explaining that the event had been planed several weeks prior to it happening and was not the result of any specific event.

During the search, students were removed from classrooms and gathered in another location.

"One of the Pea Ridge police officers noticed some students who were acting suspiciously," Laffoon said. "They were searched in that they were asked to empty their pockets and a bag."

He said a pocket knife was found in a student's pocket, but declined to discuss punishment saying that was confidential but that it was handled according to school policy.

Assistant principal Matt Wood said he has not heard any negative feedback.

One school student posted on Facebook that items were broken and students were strip-searched. School officials said that was not true.

"I think parents want their kids to be held accountable for the most part. I think it's a win/win -- we're making sure the kids are safe," Laffoon said, explaining that a limited number of rooms were searched because of how long it would take to search the entire building. "We're here to protect instructional time."

A list of rooms was selected at random was chosen, Police Chief Tim Ledbetter said. He said there were three "residual" hits from the dogs in the classrooms and three hits in the parking lot. The backpacks and personal property detected by the dogs were searched by school personnel. He explained that a "residual hit" is that the dogs smell the drug, but it is not found on or in the item. He said clothing and other items may contain the scent if someone has smoked marijuana or been around someone else smoking it.

Dogs were then taken to the main parking lot making three "hits" on vehicles. The owners of the vehicles were called to the parking lot. School officials searched those cars. In one of those cars, a small amount of marijuana was found. Logan Wichert, 18, was cited by Pea Ridge Police for possession of a controlled substance.

School officials requested the search and was arranged by School Resource Officer Lon Brown with the Bentonville Police Department.

"They were very gracious and helpful. We are very grateful to them for their work," Ledbetter said of Bentonville Police officers Corporal Guary Morgan, Lt. Mike Martin and police officers Andy Ball and J.R. Cooper.