Drug-Sniffing Police Dogs Search Salisbury High School

was under a brief lockdown Tuesday as police officers and drug-sniffing dogs searched the building, school officials and police said.

Hallways were cleared and students and teachers remained locked in classrooms, as officers from seven area police departments, including Salisbury Township Police Department, and a school official, conducted the hour-long search, which began at 8:45 a.m., officials said.

A few students and their lockers were searched after the dogs signaled they picked up a scent a second time, but no drugs were found, Assistant Principal Bill Dovico said. The dogs apparently picked up the scent of "an old lunch or smelly gym shorts," he said.

The locker number was noted and the student assigned to the locker was escorted to the locker and asked to open it, according to a statement issued by Dovico.

After the search of the suspected locker was completed, the student was escorted to a secluded area where he or she was searched. 

"Student searches were conducted by asking a student to empty and place the contents of his/her pockets, book bag, purse, or any other personal belongings onto a table. The student was then asked to take off his/her shoes to show an administrator and a witness the bottom of his/her feet. Finally, the student was asked to shake the bottom of his/her shirt and the top of his/her pants. If both searches failed to produce any substances, the student was escorted back to his/her class.  The parents/guardians of any student searched were contacted by school administration," the statement said.

Dovico said one of the purposes of the drill was "to send a message to any student considering bringing harmful substances to the high school that school administration, faculty, and students will not tolerate this type of illicit activity in their school."