Chief James McIntyre
47 Central Street
Stoneham, MA 02180-2044
For Immediate Release
Monday, Feb. 23, 2015
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-533-9398
Email: john@jgpr.net
Stoneham Police Conduct Educational K-9 Search at High School
Zero Drugs or Weapon Found at Stoneham High School
STONEHAM — Police Chief James McIntyre reports that, on Feb. 5, the Stoneham Police Department assisted the administration of Stoneham High School with a canine search of the school building.
The request by Principal Donna Cargill was made to Sergeant Robert Kennedy, who is an assistant commander of NEMLEC’s School Threat Assessment Response Team (S.T.A.R.S.), to help ensure a safe and drug free learning environment.
The search of the building was conducted at the same time the school administration practiced an emergency lock-down drill.
“Programs like lock-down drills help keep schools a safe and healthy learning environment, with minimal disruption in the school day, in the same way that fire drills have done so for many years,” Chief McIntyre said. “At the same time, a police-school partnership, bringing in K-9 units helps make sure that drugs and weapons stay out of our schools, as they have no place there.”
The Stoneham Police Department was assisted by the Andover, Burlington, Saugus, and Tewksbury police departments who provided narcotics detection dogs. Thanks to the partnership between NEMLEC’s STARS Team and the Massachusetts State Police, two canine teams from the Fire and Explosive Investigation Section also assisted in the search. These dogs provided an additional tool in detecting weapons or other dangerous items within the school.
At the conclusion of the search, Chief McIntyre is pleased to report that no drugs or weapons were detected on school grounds.
###
