Mansfield Considering Canine Sweep in the High School

Police Chief Arthur O'Neill sent a request on Tuesday to the Mansfield School Committee asking them to consider bringing in a canine unit to to perform what is known as a drug sweep.

"The police chief has expressed that he does have some concerns," said Superintendent Brenda Hodges.  "He thinks it would be a wise idea to [perform the sweep]. I have heard from a parent recently that had the very same concern."

Details for the sweep were limited, as Chief O'Neill was not in attendance at the meeting. Committee members discussed the possible capacity and scope of the sweep, based on previous experiences. The sweep could just include common areas, like locker rooms, or could go as far as doing sweeps of students themselves. 

"I think that there is a substance abuse problem with the adolescents in this community," said MHS Principal Joseph Maruszczak. "But I think that the dogs would find either very little or nothing at all in the school setting."

Maruszczak added that the most important advantage to a sweep would be that any student "sitting on the fence" of the issue of drug usage and/or sale would be given a powerful disincentive.

 "It's a very powerful, visual reminder," Maruszczak said.

But he added that one problem with a drug sweep is that if there was a student who was selling and distributing illegal drugs in the school and he or she was not caught during the sweep, it would only embolden the behavior. He added that this is very possible, as MHS is a big school and the dogs may not make it to every room.

"You have to realize that dogs, like people are only so good and that they get fatigued after a while," Maruszczak said.

The committee decided to go into executive session to discuss the option of a sweep with O'Neill at a later date.