Carroll Community College is taking a proactive step to ensure students understand that drug use and possession on campus will not be tolerated.
College President Faye Pappalardo sent a letter to students Friday reminding them of the school's Code of Integrity for Academic Behavioral Standards, which includes prohibiting drugs and tobacco use on campus or being under the influence of controlled or intoxicating substances while at any college activity.
"We don't think there's been an increase of drug use on campus, but we did have an [possession] incident within the past six months," Pappalardo said. "If there is a problem, we want students to know that we will take action."
During fall semester of this school year, a bag containing marijuana was dropped by a student and the college immediately called the police, she said.
In the letter to students, Papparlardo states that the college has arranged with the Carroll County Sheriff's Office and Maryland State Police's Drug Interdiction group to conduct patrols of the campus.
Maj. Phil Kasten, of the Sheriff's Office, said the deputies have worked with the college's Office of Public Safety and Security for years and will continue to do that.
While deputies do patrols and provide a presence to the school, its greatest response has been to thefts reported at the school, including seven incidents during the last year, he said. The deputies did arrest a student for drug possession in the fall, Kasten said.
"The unfortunate thing is that the use of elicit drugs is a problem among higher levels of students everywhere," he said.
Lt. Jim DeWees, commander of the Westminster barrack of the Maryland State Police, said officers have arrested a couple of students in possession of a misdemeanor amount of drugs as they left the campus in the past few months, but the school doesn't generally see criminal activity.
"I support the president in trying to keep the school safe," he said.
Officers typically patrol parking lots of local schools, including high schools, to monitor suspicious activity, DeWees said. The college campus is generally safe but not immune to criminal activity, he said. People have an expectation, however, that the campus is drug, tobacco and criminal-free.
"They're just trying to get ahead of it to make sure this doesn't become a more prevalent problem," DeWees said. "We'll do our best to ensure that."
If students are found in possession of drugs, it is college policy to call the police, Pappalardo said. Officers of the school's public safety will issue a written warning to those who violate the smoking and tobacco use policy and a copy of the warning will be submitted to the Dean of Students, according to the letter.
Those who violate the code of integrity could be required to go before the Integrity Council, which recommends disciplinary actions for the student based on the seriousness of the offense committed. Non-students who use the college are also required to adhere to the rules and action will be taken against those who do not, she said.
"When we think that something is going to become a problem, we take care of it right away," Pappalardo said. "[Students] know we're serious and don't let things slide."
