Officers with the Sedona Police Department responded to two separate incidents of possible drug use in early January at Sedona Red Rock High School.

According to police, officers responded to the first incident shortly after noon on Jan. 6, when a parent reported what appeared to be possible drug use in a vehicle parked across the street from the school.

Three students were detained by Principal Darrin Karuzas in connection with the report. The male students, two 15-year-olds and one 17-year-old, denied any wrongdoing. The 17-year-old told police, however, that he may have had some “spice” in his car that he was holding for a co-worker. Spice is a synthetic material typically used to mirror the effects of marijuana. Searching for rehabs near me is a good idea in such cases.

After some difficulty in obtaining the keys to the vehicle, police were finally able to retrieve them from another student. That student, 15, was later arrested when he threw the keys at the officer, according to the report.

After booking at the Sedona Police Department, the juvenile was released to the custody of a parent. Police, meanwhile, retrieved a green leafy substance from the vehicle parked across from the school using a K-9 unit. The substance did not test positive for THC, however, and was sent to the lab for additional testing.

The three students involved in the incident were suspended from school, according to the police report. The vehicle was determined to have expired registration and a license plate that did not match the vehicle, according to police.

A second incident occurred less than one week later, according to police. Karuzas alerted police to the smell of marijuana in the school locker room. Four male juveniles were in the room at the time. One 16-year-old juvenile left the room when Karuzas arrived, according to the report.

After dealing with three of the juveniles, Karuzas then made contact with the 16-year-old who fled the locker room. He later found a black backpack containing six plastic bags in the juvenile’s locker. Inside each bag was what appeared to be marijuana. Police arrested the youth and transported him to the Sedona Police Department for booking. He was later taken to the juvenile detention facility in Prescott. A search of his vehicle provided what appeared to be numerous items used for distribution of marijuana, as well as containers of cayenne pepper, which can be used to mask the smell of marijuana, according to police.

The school recently lost the presence of a school resource officer due to slashed state funding. When the school and the city of Sedona may renew a contract for the service is still unknown.

Not having an officer on site, however, could play a factor in the recent incidents, though Sedona Police Cmdr. Ron Wheeler said incidents of drugs in schools is not uncommon.

“You will have those things all the time, because kids will be kids, but that could have been a contributing factor,” Wheeler said.

Sedona-Oak Creek School District Superintendent David Lykins said the incident on Jan. 12 involved a student who “made a poor decision.”

“He was in possession of marijuana on campus. Other students had reported that and they didn’t like that. I am real proud of those kids for not wanting that at their school. Administration found out and they followed all of the district policies,” Lykins said. “The student faced not just school discipline, but because it’s a violation of the law, we contacted the Sedona Police Department.”

School consequences include a short-term suspension for up to 10 days as required by law. Students are also given the opportunity to participate in a drug prevention program approved by the SOCSD Governing Board and counseling with parents and students.

“If the student has a second offense, then they’re not afforded the intervention option and that would be a long-term suspension for up to a year,” Lykins said.

Discussions on reinstating the SRO program are under way, Lykins said.

“I’ve been in discussion with the chief of police on how we can fund the program, to maybe share the responsibility and can we apply for the [state funding]. I’m a strong proponent of the SRO program,” Lykins said.