CORYDON, IN. (WDRB) -- A southern Indiana sheriff confirmed it was his deputy who left drugs at a school following a training exercise.
Harrison County Sheriff Nick Smith said the incident happened Tuesday before classes began at Corydon Central Junior High School.
Law enforcement agencies were at the school last week for training. During the exercise, narcotics training aids were placed throughout the building as part of a simulation. At the end of this training simulation, some of the substances and training aids weren't returned. The sheriff confirmed to WDRB those "smelling aids" were cocaine and marijuana gummies.
A teacher found the drugs before classes started on the first day of school.
Smith said the deputy didn't follow original policy to recover the resources, and a new, more robust chain of custody has now been implemented.
"As the sheriff, I take full responsibility for this failure," Smith said. "A new and more robust policy, immediately implemented, (it) requires two separate officers to maintain control of all training aids to ensure chain of custody and control at all times when training aids are used. We are thankful that a teacher located the aids left behind prior to any children returning to the classroom."
Smith said all participating canine officers conducted a full inventory of their training aids to account for them after this incident.
The South Harrison Community Schools also notified parents on Wednesday about the incident at Corydon Central Junior High School.
"It is important to note there were no students in the classroom at the time the substance was discovered and no one was in harm's way. South Harrison has worked closely with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department throughout the years to conduct training exercises in our buildings to keep students, staff, and the community safe," the statement said. "We understand this is a concerning situation for all involved and we are confident the Sheriff’s Department will carry out the proper investigation and implement the necessary procedures to ensure our community’s safety. "
The letter said the illegal drugs were given to a school resource officer who contacted the Sheriff's Department.
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