2 Students Arrested on Suspicion of Pot Possession at BHHS

Two  students were arrested Wednesday when the Beverly Hills Police Department conducted a drug sweep of the campus. 

"We assisted the [Beverly Hills Unified School District] searching the campus for any illegal or dangerous narcotics," BHPD Sgt. Renato Moreno told Patch. "As a result, two juveniles were arrested on school grounds and charged with less than 1 ounce of marijuana each."

The BHPD took the lead in conducting the search, which occurred at about 10:15 a.m. Canine units were on hand, as well as Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officers. 

According to Moreno, the arrested juveniles were booked at the BHPD jail under California Health and Safety code 11357(e), which states that any person under age 18 found on a school campus with up to 28.5 grams [1 ounce] of marijuana in his or her possession while school is in session is subject to a misdemeanor charge.

The campus search involved a "comprehensive sweep of classrooms and the parking garage," BHUSD Superintendent Gary Woods told Patch. Such searches using specially trained police dogs are carried out routinely on the high school grounds, he said.

More than five separate police teams searched the campus at once Wednesday.

"You only have a short window of time for these searches to be effective," Woods said. "We are sending a clear message that drugs are not tolerated."

Citing student privacy, Woods said he could not comment on the specific arrests or any suspensions resulting from the search. Under California Education Code 4900, students can be suspended for one to five days for drug violations. Serious violators can be expelled from the district, although such suspensions must be approved by the Board of Education.

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