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Commish: DPS should be contacted first, not parents if student caught with drugs

fili@samoanews.com

Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson says police should be the first to be contacted if an incident surfaces in schools with students involved in drugs, instead of the school contacting parents first.

Le’i made the statement at yesterday’s Senate joint Education and Government Operation committees hearing, where principals of all public high schools on Tutuila confirmed the drug problem involving students in their respective public high schools.

The Senate hearing followed reports, which reached senators about a recent incident at Fagaitua High School, where students were involved with drugs. Fagaitua High School principal Suaese ‘Butch’ Ta’ase told senators that the case is now in the hands of police.

Le’i told senators that police have completed their investigation and a report has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office involving seven students from FHS.

Sen. Galeai M. Tu’ufuli told the hearing that he had spoken with FHS parents, who say that this drug problem in the school has happened many times. Galeai, a former police commissioner, said police should be contacted right away, instead of schools trying to resolve such matters.

Besides Ta’ase, other high school principals present at the nearly two-hour hearing, were Tafuna High School principal Beauty Tuiasosopo, Samoana principal Pata Siatu’u, Leone principal Mataua Aasa Matai and Nu’uuli Vocational Technical principal Tupa’i Rod Atafua.

Sen. Magalei Logovi’i asked all principals if they are facing the same issue as with Fagaitua, and they all said yes, with Tuiasosopo explaining that when she started as a principal, the problem already existed but not as prevalent, however, it has increased over time.

Tupa’i said that the same problem exists at his high school, but not as much and he suspects it’s because of the school’s small enrollment.

Magalei asked: Is there someone selling drugs to students on campus or students bringing drugs to school?  He said, “Somebody is selling the drugs to students,” and questioned Tuiasosopo if such a case has occurred at Tafuna High School.

Tuiasosopo responded that if a student is caught, the school would first contact the parents, and then police. She said principals cannot conduct an investigation, or even search a student’s bag.

However, Le’i said parents should never be contacted first or be involved and police should be contacted first because “these are criminal activities”. Not only police will investigate what has occurred on the school campus, but also find out how drugs made it onto school grounds, he said.

Le’i also said eight police recruits currently attending the police academy, will be assigned to schools upon graduation. “These are ‘uniformed cops” and a federal grant will pay for their salaries, he said.

Le’i reiterated that police should be contacted right away when a drug issue surfaces on school grounds, and not the parents. “The law shouldn’t be compromised,” he said.

Sen. Tuaolo Manaia Fruean, a former police commissioner, offered an immediate solution to resolving the drug problem at this point and that is hiring K-9s for school grounds. “This is the immediate solution to addressing this problem that will continue to grow,” he said.

Samoa News will report in a future edition on other issues debated during the hearing.