February 9, 2007 - New Haven Register (CT) 2nd-Grader Faces Drug Charge By William Kaempffer, Staff

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(Ed. note; If you would like to respond in an LTE to this outrageous example of drug war insanity, use the e-mail links provided)

NEW HAVEN -- A second-grader at Truman School is accused of bringing crack cocaine into school this week and may have dispensed it to classmates.

The 7-year-old, police said, is charged with possession of narcotics and will have to appear in juvenile court.

Sgt. Rick Rodriguez, a supervisor in family services, said police released the boy to his parents, but made referrals to Yale Child Study, which can provide follow-up counseling, and the state Department of Children and Families "to take a look at the family situation."

Rodriguez said the boy told detectives he found the drugs on the way to school.

"We interviewed enough people that we're comfortable with that answer," he said.

Police were called to the school at 114 Truman St. by a school official Thursday afternoon and two packets of crack were turned over.

It was unknown whether that was the extent of what was brought to the school.

Police found the boy at home.

Rodriguez said he couldn't confirm that the boy handed out the drugs to classmates, but a parent outside the school said her second-grade son was one of the unwitting recipients.

"Basically, a kid brought in some bags. I think it was crack cocaine. He gave them out, but a lot of the kids didn't know what it was and threw it out," said Nichola Tracey.

Her son then piped in: "I put it in my back pocket, but then I took it out and threw it away."

After school, the boy told his grandmother, who informed Tracey.

The incident happened Wednesday. School officials learned of it Thursday.

According to police, the young suspect wasn't in school when police showed up, but Rodriguez couldn't say whether he didn't come to school at all or took off when the trouble started brewing.

Schools spokeswoman Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo referred all questions to police.

Many parents picking up their kids Thursday were unaware of what had happened and expressed shock -- and some disbelief -- that someone so young would have narcotics.

Heidy Quiles attended Truman as a child and, now 25, has two kids there, one in second grade and one in kindergarten.

"I love the school," Quiles said. At the same time, she said, she was alarmed at what had transpired.

"Yeah, I'm very concerned. My daughter, she's a second-grader. I wouldn't want my kids to put their hands on anything like that."

Wayne Lopez also has a daughter in second grade and reacted with skepticism. "A second-grader? It's hard to believe. This is not what this school is all about," he said.

Tracey was more philosophical, saying the entire episode was a sad illustration of a larger, societal problem.

"Anything is possible these days. (Kids) see their parents doing it and think it's right. That's the world we live in."

(Respond to this story at: letters@nhregister.com)

February 2, 2007 - Hartford Courant (CT)

Second-Grade Student Charged With Bringing Crack Cocaine To Class

By Associated Press

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A second-grade student was charged with narcotics possession after bringing crack cocaine to class this week, police said.

The 7-year-old boy, whose name was not released, told officers he found the packets of drugs on his way to Truman School on Wednesday, police said.

"We interviewed enough people that we're comfortable with that answer," New Haven police Sgt. Rick Rodriguez said.

A parent told the New Haven Register that the boy gave packets of the drugs to her second-grade son and other children, but police said Thursday they could not confirm that.

"He gave them out, but a lot of the kids didnt know what it was and threw it out," parent Nichola Tracey said.

School district spokeswoman Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo referred all questions to police, who learned of the incident on Thursday from school officials.

The child's case was referred to juvenile court. The state Department of Children and Families also was notified.

(Respond to this story at: letters@courant.com)

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