Drugs Detection Dog Visits Fowey River Academy as Part of Police Education Work

A specially trained drugs detection dog has been visiting schools in Cornwall as part of police efforts to educate young people and discourage drug use.

Skye, a dog trained to detect the presence of drugs, was recently invited into Fowey River Academy, where she carried out passive searches in Year 10 classrooms.

Classroom visits with a difference

During the visit, students aged 14 to 15 were asked to walk past Skye while she sniffed them and their school bags. Officers then spoke with each class about why the visit was taking place and the importance of staying away from drugs.

Each classroom visit lasted around five minutes. No drugs were detected during any of the passive searches.

Police say focus is education, not enforcement

PC Gareth Hawken, who helped organise the visit, said:
“We don’t come to the schools wanting to find any drugs, and it’s a great result that we don’t.

“Fowey River Academy wasn’t picked as there was a perceived problem, but because we have a great working relationship with them.

“These visits are key in showing our collaborative efforts to tackle the use of drugs.

“If together with our local schools we can encourage young people to make safe informed decisions as they grow older and deter them from using drugs, that’s a win.”

Positive response from school and students

Headteacher Ben Eddy said the visits are always welcomed by the school. He said:
“We are always pleased to welcome in Skye and the local police team. These visits are invaluable and help to reinforce the key safety messages around the dangers of drugs. These visits are always well received by students.”

Students also shared their views on the visit. Dylan, a Year 10 pupil, said:
“I think it should be enforced in more schools – it’s just good to educate children about drugs at such a young age.”

George added:
“It’s definitely a deterrent to doing drugs and should put some people off hopefully. It’s showing that risk that if they do something like that, they run the risk of being caught and that it’s probably not worth it at the end of the day.”

How to report concerns

To report illegal activity or log non-urgent crimes, visit the Devon and Cornwall Police website via their online reporting service or call 101.

Crimes can also be reported anonymously through Crimestoppers.