WASHINGTON TERRACE, Utah -- Nearly a dozen students left Bonneville High School in handcuffs Tuesday morning after a bust by the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force. Also arrested was one Roy High School student and one from Two Rivers High School in Ogden.
During an extended investigation, strike force agents purchased hallucinogenic mushrooms, marijuana, prescription medication and ecstasy from the 13 teenagers, who range in age from 14 to 17.
"This isn't just a problem with this high school. It's all of them," Lt. Darin Parke said as a teenager in handcuffs cursed at another officer nearby. "The link to this high school is proof of that. It's sad to see them trying to act like adult drug dealers already."
Parke said the strike force could easily spend all of its time conducting similar busts.
At 9:30 a.m., agents arrived at the school and began pulling students out of class. Officers conducted locker searches with drugsniffing dogs, while the students were taken to the library to be arrested.
Other than the searches and line of sheriff's trucks in front of the school, classes went on as usual.
Agents did not lock down the school.
"The big thing we're trying to get across is schools aren't going to tolerate drugs being here, and we're going to do everything possible to make that happen," Parke said.
Weber School District spokesman Nate Taggart said the schools frequently work with law enforcement.
The schools conduct routine locker searches, and all students involved in athletics are randomly tested for drugs.
"We want to make our school safe for kids, and we want kids who have problems to get the help they need, and working with operations like these is one way to do that," Taggart said.
Along with their arrests, the students were suspended from school and referred to student services.
After being interviewed, the students were released to their parents. Those who could not reach their parents were taken to a Weber County corrections facility.
Copyright 2011 - Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
