The Simi Valley Unified School District board unanimously passed an updated search and seizure policy, which includes a change specifying that contrabandsniffing dogs can search student parking lots.

The policy had been introduced at a meeting Sept. 8 and was passed Tuesday night without discussion from the board or comment from the public.

School officials are allowed to search students, their property and district property, like lockers, when “there is a reasonable suspicion that the search will uncover evidence that (the student) is violating the law, board policy, administrative regulation or other rules of the district or the school,” according to the policy.

Searches of and in parking lots are to be restricted to student parking lots, according to an addition to the policy.

Any unsafe, illegal or prohibited items found in the searches may be seized by staff.

The Canine Search and Training program is administered by the Simi Valley Unified School District with the aid of the Simi Valley Police Department. The department uses the campus visits not only for training purposes but also to remind students that campuses are drug-free.

—Joann Groff