North Shore Sun

A small plastic bag with a trace amount of cocaine was found earlier this month in a bathroom inside Wading River Elementary School, Riverhead Police said.

Chief David Hegermiller said Wednesday that a "micro-zip bag," which is a small plastic bag about the size of a stamp and a common container used to hold cocaine, was found shortly after 6:30 p.m. Feb. 5 by a custodian inside a bathroom at the school. The bag, which was nearly empty, Chief Hegermiller said, was tested for drugs and came up positive for cocaine.

"There was enough residue in the bag to come up positive," he said.

A statement posted to the Shoreham-Wading River School District's Web site describes the bag as very small and near empty when it was found inside an "auxiliary" bathroom at the school, where there are classes for children between first and sixth grade. It was later turned over to the Riverhead Police Department for examination, according to the statement.

"Regrettably, the investigations into how this bag came to be located in a bathroom at the elementary school have provided no suspects," the statement reads. "The school is a public building used by many people for numerous activities -- both school and community-related. We will continue to monitor this situation and update the community with any further developments in the matter."

"We really have no leads," Chief Hegermiller said of the investigation.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the incident to call the department's community-oriented police enforcement unit at 631-727-4500 and ask for ext. 329, Chief Hegermiller said. Those who do not feel comfortable speaking directly with an officer, Chief Hegermiller said, can call the department's tip line at 631-727-3333 and leave a message.

"All calls will remain confidential," Chief Hegermiller said.

Suffolk Legislator Edward Romaine (R-Center Moriches) said he was concerned given the fact that the building houses such young children, although he noted that drug use is an increasing problem in Suffolk County. It would be scary if it was an adult who either worked at the school or a parent, Mr. Romaine said.

"The best defense we have as a community is to work with the schools on effective drug awareness and prevention programs," Mr. Romaine said. "This is something the county has to work with the school districts on."

Janene Gentile, executive director of the North Shore Youth Council, a nonprofit group that assists parents of children who are struggling with drug addiction, said she did not know any more about the incident than what was posted on the school district's Web site. Noting the drug epidemic in Suffolk County, Ms. Gentile would not rule out a younger child using the highly addictive drug, because one of the trends seen lately is that older children are luring younger children into drug use. But she did not think that scenario was likely.

"I hope it's not a little kid using [drugs]," Ms. Gentile said. "It's probably an adult."

Regardless, Ms. Gentile explained, she believes school officials should conduct a search similar to those that are conducted in the Rocky Point and Miller Place school districts.

"They should get the sniffer dogs in," she said.

peggy@northshoresun.com