ACLU urges Canton, Conn., schools to call off the drug-sniffing dogs

The American Civil Liberties Union ofConnecticut is calling on the Canton school board to end its policy of allowing police dogs to sniff student lockers and school parking lots for drugs. The topic of drug searches has been a sensitive one in town since a June 5 random sweep at Canton middle and high schools put classrooms in lockdown and resulted in the arrest of one student on a misdemeanor possession charge. False alerts led to more than 15 students being pulled out of class to watch police officers search their lockers and cars. In the following weeks, a group of parents complained loudly that the sweep was heavy-handed and ineffective. The board's policy committee is expected to issue policy recommendations at the regular board meeting Dec. 18. To read The Hartford Courant article, click here.