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Bluelighter
DRUG SEARCH TARGETS STUDENTS AT COLLEGE
The Citizen
12/13/07
On-the-spot drug searches were carried out at Gloucestershire College yesterday in a crackdown on illegal substances.Throughout the morning, police employed a sophisticated drugs testing machine at one entrance of the Llanthony Road campus while a drugs dog was used at the other main door.
Buddy, a springer spaniel, expert at sniffing out even minute traces of drugs, scrutinised up to 1,000 students as they arrived this morning.
As a result of alarms raised by Buddy and the machine, suggesting traces of heroin, cannabis and cocaine, 36 people were searched.
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No drugs were found, although a small amount of cannabis was found discarded.
The scheme was launched as part of an anti-drugs initiative at the college.
"We are pleased to work with the college and when they invited us to come along we were happy to do so as we are keen whenever possible to reinforce the message that drugs will not be tolerated in Gloucester," said PC Matt Hammond, who was among seven officers involved in Operation Aura.
"We received very positive feedback from everyone, including the students, many of whom said they would not want to work with people involved in drugs.
"One person told us they had lost a relative to drugs and they said they were really pleased we were there doing this."
He added: "It was the first time we had conducted such an operation at the college but it will not be the last, either there or at other venues."
The hands of a further 500 students were also wiped with a small piece of material which was then fed into the drugs machine.
This alerts officers if the subject has been in contact with drugs, either through use or by touching something contaminated by others, and even suggests which drug is involved.
Link!
The Citizen
12/13/07
On-the-spot drug searches were carried out at Gloucestershire College yesterday in a crackdown on illegal substances.Throughout the morning, police employed a sophisticated drugs testing machine at one entrance of the Llanthony Road campus while a drugs dog was used at the other main door.
Buddy, a springer spaniel, expert at sniffing out even minute traces of drugs, scrutinised up to 1,000 students as they arrived this morning.
As a result of alarms raised by Buddy and the machine, suggesting traces of heroin, cannabis and cocaine, 36 people were searched.
Article Continues
No drugs were found, although a small amount of cannabis was found discarded.
The scheme was launched as part of an anti-drugs initiative at the college.
"We are pleased to work with the college and when they invited us to come along we were happy to do so as we are keen whenever possible to reinforce the message that drugs will not be tolerated in Gloucester," said PC Matt Hammond, who was among seven officers involved in Operation Aura.
"We received very positive feedback from everyone, including the students, many of whom said they would not want to work with people involved in drugs.
"One person told us they had lost a relative to drugs and they said they were really pleased we were there doing this."
He added: "It was the first time we had conducted such an operation at the college but it will not be the last, either there or at other venues."
The hands of a further 500 students were also wiped with a small piece of material which was then fed into the drugs machine.
This alerts officers if the subject has been in contact with drugs, either through use or by touching something contaminated by others, and even suggests which drug is involved.
Link!
