School drug busts on the rise

The number of dog-assisted police drug busts in Belgian schools has risen sharply in the past five years, Le Soir reports. A total of 157 such operations took place last year, compared to 64 in 2007. They are initiated by school authorities, under the terms of the PLP41 directive, which governs collaboration between schools and the police. The aim is to fight two targets: truancy and drug dealing. The majority of Belgium’s 196 police zones now have dedicated communication channels with schools, through which school authorities can request advice or help, which may result in dog-led searches.