Small Amount of Marijuana Found During High School Search

A planned K-9 search at Chelmsford High School on Wednesday morning uncovered a small amount of marijuana in an unattended student vehicle parked in the school lot.

Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney announced that the school took part in a regularly scheduled “hold in place” order to practice and check security measures at Chelmsford High and during which police conducted a planned K-9 search for controlled substances.

Fifteen K-9 officers and their dogs, all from the Greater Lowell area, participated in the search, which began at 8:25 a.m. and lasted for about 45 minutes. During that time, police searched areas inside and outside the building as well as five randomly selected classrooms.

The small amount of marijuana the search uncovered appeared to be for personal use, according to police, and no criminal charges were filed. The school will handle the issue administratively, which will involve a suspension for the student involved, according to the Lowell Sun, which is an action in accordance with the student handbook.

During the search, teachers and students remained in their classrooms and engaged in planned lessons, according to police. The students did not have any interaction with the dogs or their handlers.

“We would like to thank school officials and students for their support and cooperation during this procedure today,” Chief Spinney said. “The safety of our students is our number one priority which is why we conduct these searches. It has been several years since we have performed a search like this, so it was important to get this done.”