MIDDLETOWN – Police officers from a number of local agencies assisted the Middletown Police Department with two drug sweeps on Tuesday – one at Middletown High School and one at Monhagen Middle School.

The search, which began at 10 a.m., involved the checking of all lockers and public areas of the schools. Both sweeps turned up nothing and were conducted randomly and not in response to a tip or any suspicions; they were conducted in an ongoing effort to help keep Middletown school buildings drug-free.

"The use of police K-9 units to conduct drug sweeps sends a positive message to both the students and the community that the district is working diligently to deter drugs from coming into our schools," said Kenneth Haverlan, school district director of Security, Health & Safety.

The search was a coordinated effort between the district, Middletown Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. Dave Campbell of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit supervised the search.

In addition to the K-9’s from the Middletown and the Sheriff’s Office, other agencies participating in the search included the town police from Clarkstown, Newburgh and New Windsor, and the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.

The fact that no narcotics were found should be reassuring to the residents of the school district,” said Middletown Lt. Paul Rickard. “It is a testament to the hard work of school district staff, the districts partners, and the students themselves in helping keep school a safe, drug-free learning environment.”

The Middletown Police and Middletown City School District have conducted narcotic searches since 2005 at the high school and middle schools.