Crenshaw County Schools and the Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Office recently partnered to help fight the war on drugs in the county and in the local schools.

In 2013, the school system announced it would partner with the Sheriff’s Department to purchase a drug dog and the county would provide an officer to be its handler.

“The new Crenshaw County drug dog, Sava, was put to her first test this past Tuesday at Luverne School,” said Superintendent Randy Wilkes.

Crenshaw County Investigator Mike Johnson, who has more than 15 years of K9 experience said he was pleased with her progress.

Sava’s chief handler is deputy Lee Simmons. He was with the dog as she conducted a 3.5-hour search at LHS.

“Every student in grades 7 through 12 participated in the unscheduled activity,” Wilkes said. “To keep the dog stimulated, with employees serving as witnesses, an illegal substance was periodically and purposefully hidden.”

Wilkes said the county schools will have unlimited access to the dog and searches will be conducted at random and will range in size and location.

“Not all students will be searched each time, nor will all areas be searched each time,” he said.