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Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office Corporal David Ridings puts K-9 Milo through a brief training exercise at Fannin County High School in Blue Ridge after Milo and four other drug dogs thoroughly searched the school Wednesday, March 29.
By Glenn Harbison, News-Observer Publisher –– Deputies from the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office joined representatives from four other law enforcement agencies last week to search Fannin County High School in Blue Ridge.
After the search, high school Principal Dr. Scott Ramsey was, “Encouraged (by) the most thorough this school has ever been searched.”
The team of law enforcement officers used five drug dogs, two of which were from Gilmer County, to comb almost every inch of the high school campus last Wednesday, March 29.
Only the Performing Arts Center was not searched, and that was due to kindergarten registration taking place.
The search lasted about two hours, and when it was over, only two vaping devices had been discovered, prompting Ramsey’s words.
This was not the first search of the high school this year. Sergeant Jacob Pless of the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office along with K-9 Vendy did a less intensive search in January.
A similar exercise was conducted at Fannin County Middle School.
After those efforts, school officials said they wanted to let students know the drug dogs would be back.
“The safety of our students is the top priority. We must do everything we can to ensure our kids are safe from a variety of threats, including dangerous substances. I appreciate the support of Fannin County Sheriff Dane Kirby and his deputies, as well as those with other area law enforcement agencies, for today’s check of Fannin County High School with drug detection canines,” Fannin County School Superintendent Shannon Miller said after last week’s search.
Taking part in the effort were deputies from the Fannin, Gilmer and Union County sheriff’s offices, the Union County School Police force and Blue Ridge Police Chief R.A. Stuart.