Undercover drug sting nets 15 high school students

[Willowdared]

By Karen Kucher
UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM
12:56 p.m. January 3, 2007

SAN DIEGO – An undercover police investigation launched months ago resulted in the arrest of 15 students on drug-possession charges Wednesday morning at University City High School and Patrick Henry High School.
Police said two of the students had marijuana in their possession when they were detained.

Two San Diego police officer posed as students during the fall semester at the two campuses. They bought drugs on or near school, including prescription pain medication, marijuana, ecstasy and psilocybin, otherwise known as magic mushrooms, police said.
At University City High School, police arrested eight boys and one girl, ranging in age from 15 to 17.

At Patrick Henry, in Del Cerro, six male students were arrested. They ranged in age from 15 to 18.

Authorities said they also plan to seek an arrest warrant for a student who transferred from University City to a school in Ohio.

The arrests were made without incident and the operation “was very smooth and very low-key,” said school district spokeswoman Ursula Kroemer.

Police officials said they conducted the operation to combat drug activity in and around the campuses. The undercover officers bought 6.3 grams of marijuana, 5 ecstasy pills, 6.4 grams of mushrooms and 12 pain pills.

The superintendent was informed about the investigation from the start, with principals at the two schools learning about it Tuesday, Kroemer said.

“On one hand it is a little bit (of) startling information. On the other hand it is keeping with our zero-tolerance policy,” she said. “One thing we can say is we think the arrests send a very clear message: We don't tolerate drug use, possession or selling on campus.”

Three students were on probation for drug-related offenses and several were repeat offenders, police said.

Police said the students are to be charged with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics for sale and some will face an enhanced charge accusing them of selling drugs in and around a school.

School district officials had said that police would hold a media briefing Wednesday afternoon, but police officials issued a release with information on the incident instead.

Acting police Capt. Shelley Zimmerman said she couldn't say whether the department had undercover police officers posing as students at any other district campus.

She said no other arrests were expected from the operation.

[CountyWolf]

Nice operation. Too bad most of the offenders will not learn a damn thing from the incident.

[Jackalope]

It's a good start, but if they expect this to be a deterrent to other kids, they need to keep this happening on a continual basis and keep it somewhat publicized. Otherwise, they'd just jacked up the fifteen kids and the rest of the students will continue on as if nothing happened.