WAILUKU, Maui — Kalama Intermediate School will be the first public school in Hawai'i to use specially trained dogs on campus to sniff out drugs, alcohol and guns.

The first unannounced visit by a dog and handler from the nonprofit Interquest Detection Canines of Hawai'i is expected sometime within a month, after the state Attorney General's Office fine-tunes the procedures to be used in the sniff-searches and when contraband is detected, said Glenn Tatsuno, acting head of the Department of Education's Safety and Security Office.

Three other Maui District schools — Lahainaluna High School, Lahaina Intermediate School and Lana'i High & Elementary School — are planning to participate in the program, which could expand to public schools across the state.

The pilot program at the Makawao school is being funded through donations. Interquest is the same company that started drug-sniffing programs at two private schools on O'ahu.

Kalama parent Lisa Knutson of Pa'ia, whose twin sons are in the eighth grade, supports the canine inspection program and dismissed possible concerns about privacy. She said students on campus have limited rights, just as they do at home.

"I think it's great. With all that's going on, I'm glad they're doing it," Knutson said. "I would let them drug-test my kids."

STUDENT SEES NEED

Parent Sharon Williams said she was not bothered by the idea of sniff inspections.

"Why not?" she said last night.

Her son, Kai, a seventh-grader at Kalama, said he sees a need for the program. "I don't want someone running around with drugs," he said. "I know there are students who are doing drugs, but I don't think it's a big problem."

Kalama Principal John Costales said middle school is an appropriate setting for drug detection and deterrent programs. The Maui school averages one drug case a month, he said.

"If you look at when kids are starting to get involved in drugs and the pressure they are under to try different things such as drugs and alcohol, it really starts at our level," he said. "There is a lot of pressure in the middle school ages for experimentation, and we want to try to nip it."

Costales said the program will "help kids make the decision not to get caught with drugs."

When he presented the idea to the school-community council, the principal said some parents were concerned that the program would indicate to others that Kalama has a drug problem.

"It's not so much we have a problem, but that we want to be proactive about it and make sure drugs are not on campus as much as possible," he said. "Kids this age need help. We're not out to bust them but to get them the support that they need."

SEARCH PROTOCOL

During the canine inspections, two DOE employees will accompany the Interquest dog and handler. If the canine detects drugs, alcohol or firearms, the DOE representatives will follow established search-and-seizure procedures to take possession of suspected contraband. Illegal items will be turned over to the police.

For the pilot project, the canine inspections will be limited to common buildings such as cafeterias and gymnasiums, student lockers and lounges, restrooms and school building exteriors, grounds and vegetation. The dogs will not be allowed to sniff people, backpacks or purses, or inspect classrooms or inside cars.

Kalama will host an informational meeting for the public tomorrow to explain the program, with a canine demonstration for students and staff at the school planned for Friday.

DOE officials said the primary purpose of the project is deterrence. Students found in possession of contraband will not be subject to school disciplinary actions, unless the contraband is a firearm. Federal and state laws require a mandatory one-year expulsion for any student in possession of a gun.

However, illegal contraband will be turned over to the Maui Police Department, which has the authority to initiate a criminal investigation.

SAINT LOUIS SUCCESS

Saint Louis School in Honolulu started canine inspections in 2004 using Interquest. School spokeswoman Darcie Yukiyama said the program has been successful in deterring students from making wrong choices.

"They love the dog and have gotten used to it," she said.

Yukiyama was not able to immediately provide information on how many contraband cases resulted from the inspections.

Interquest owner and operator Whitney White of Maui also does inspections at Academy of the Pacific and a number of businesses. She has one trained dog in service, a golden retriever named Custer, and would use only nonaggressive breeds if more dogs are needed.

White said she has been talking with the DOE for several years about bringing the canine inspections to public schools. The fact that the pilot program is funded through donations speeded the process along, she said.

A mother of five, White said she's offering the inspections largely as a public service after hearing from community groups that wanted to help start a program.

"I know what these kids go through and I know what's on campuses. The life they are living today is not the one I was brought up in," she said. "My total focus is prevention."

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.