PHOENIX, Arizona - April 24, 2009 - Police authorities conducted a lockdown and random drug sweep using drug-trained canine units from various law enforcement and correctional agencies at a high school south of the Valley Friday morning.

According to Tom Beckett with the Maricopa Unified School District, the sweep began at 8:10 a.m. with a campus-wide teaching lockdown. It ended at about 9:25 a.m.

Beckett said the lockdown was conducted by confining students and teachers to the areas they were in when the lockdown was called.

He says the drill was conducted to support the district's commitment to providing a drug-free campus for students and training for lockdown procedures.

Maricopa Police Sgt. Steven Judd said no drugs were found during the search.

Judd says the event gave several police agencies and canine officers a chance to practice their skills in drug detection. He said it gave the dogs a chance to work in a real life atmosphere rather than the more sterile conditions in which they train.

The agencies participating in Friday's drill included the Maricopa Police Department, Ak-Chin Police Department, Pinal County Sheriff's Department, Casa Grande Police Department, the Arizona Department of Corrections, and Corrections Corporation of Amerika.

Ed. Note: Drug sweep! Lockdown! What happened to education? These criminal police state tactics are only serving to make our schools less free and our children less able to think for themselves. Revolution Now! Independence Forever!