To the surprise of the students of LC, a Code Blue lock-down, commonly referred to as a canine drug sweep, was enacted by the administration on Thursday, Sept. 19.

“The intention of [the drug sweep] was to locate any contraband or illicit drugs that were contained in any vehicles and/or lockers at Lake Central High School and also to adjacent properties, which we had had intelligence that students were storing drugs in vehicles and paying to park in these private lots. The areas that were searched, specifically, were Zig-E’s and Fagen-Miller Funeral Home, where students pay for parking spots. We obtained permission from the owners of those properties, prior to today, to check their lots for any vehicles parked there that may contain drugs,” Student Resource Officer Brett Sidenbender, said.

These sporadic, school-wide drug searches are conducted several times each year in order to ensure that the school campus remains a safe, contraband-free environment for all students.

“I coordinated with canine units from the Dyer, Schererville, Lake County, Griffith and Munster Police Departments to obtain their canine officers and their partners to assist in the search,” Sidenbender said.

The lock-down went smoothly, lasting only between 15 and 20 minutes. Several possible cases for investigation were brought to the attention of the school’s administration as a result of the search, and will be addressed promptly.