Police conduct drill at school

Newport Harbor locked down for emergency training; police dogs canvass lockers for drugs.The Newport Harbor High School campus swarmed with police officers Thursday morning during a lockdown drill, followed by a real locker search by drug-detecting police dogs.

The drill, kept secret from students and most faculty, was designed to test campus preparation in the event of a real security concern.

“We are constantly preparing for unusual occurrences on the school campus,” said Newport Beach Sgt. Bill Hartford. “If we’re trained to react to those situations we’re going to respond to them more effectively.”

Assistant Principal David Martinez issued a warning on the loud speaker Thursday; it was a cue for students to return immediately to the nearest classroom or portable.

The teachers were responsible for closing and locking doors, shutting off lights, closing blinds and making sure students were quiet, Martinez said.

Newport Beach police arrived on scene minutes later, sirens and lights blazing, as they would in a real emergency, Martinez said.

Teams of administrators then canvassed the campus, checking to make sure all students were accounted for. They also pounded on classroom doors and tested the locks.

The drill itself took an estimated 20 minutes; there are between 120 to 125 rooms to check during the drill.

The lockdown drill is practiced at least once per semester, Martinez said. School administrators keep the students, parents and faculty members in the dark to make the drill as real as possible.

After school Thursday, Senior Laure Kohne still was unsure whether it was a drill or reality.

“It’s really kind of scary,” Kohne said. “You know if it lasts too long it could be serious, and that’s when it starts getting kind of intense.”

Kohne was leaving campus when the message came over the loudspeaker. She’s been through the drills before and knew what to do; she jumped in the nearest room.

“There were cops everywhere,” Kohne said.

Kohne said she heard lots of sirens within minutes of the warning announcement.

This drill went well, but the school is always trying to improve, Martinez said.

“We’re improving, but we’re not exactly where we want to be,” Martinez added.

Police presence on campus didn’t end when the lockdown concluded -- after the drill, a police K-9 unit conducted real locker searches for drugs.

The drug search and the lockdown drill weren’t related, but the school administration decided to get them both done at one time, Martinez said.

The locker search was the first in many years at Newport Harbor, he said.

The school district allows police to perform the drug searches, which are only permitted in the locker areas and parking lots. Parents were previously notified that the locker searches would take place throughout the semester, officials said.

If a dog takes interest in a certain locker, that gives police “responsible suspicion” that something illegal is inside, Hartford said.

There was no one incident that prompted the searches; it’s a proactive measure, Martinez said.

“Our goal is not to find anything; it’s just a deterrent,” Martinez said.

The K-9 didn’t pick up on any contraband inside the high school lockers Thursday, officials said.

The dog did, however, have a nose for chocolate, Martinez pointed out.

* LAUREN VANE covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at (714) 966-4618 or lauren.vane@latimes.com.