the interesting thing about this is it looks like the cops are subpoenaing cell phone records to find out what phone numbers people are calling and using that information to shake down people. As part of the investigation, sheriff's detectives subpoenaed the cellphones of the 11 suspected dealers and analyzed more than 160,000 phone calls to identify 581 households, primarily with Scottsdale addresses, that made or received more than three calls to the cellphones. Original Article Scottsdale heroin ring busted; teens were target Anne Ryman and Holly Johnson The Arizona Republic Mar. 19, 2005 12:00 AM Authorities have arrested 11 Mexican immigrants who they say were involved in a heroin ring that targeted Scottsdale students. The suspected drug dealers preyed on Scottsdale teens because of their wealth, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said. "We have serious drug problem in our schools. Actually, this may be just the tip of the iceberg," he said. The undercover operation by the county Sheriff's Office resulted in eight teens facing drug charges, and 146 are identified as drug users or sellers. None of the sales took place on campus. However, the teens said they used or saw others using drugs on campus. Most were current or recent graduates of Scottsdale high schools, and a handful attended private and alternative schools. Arpaio said he couldn't quantify whether heroin is a bigger problem in Scottsdale than elsewhere. Although the drug dealers in this bust focused on the Scottsdale area, their cellphone records were linked to homes throughout the Valley, he said. As part of the investigation, sheriff's detectives subpoenaed the cellphones of the 11 suspected dealers and analyzed more than 160,000 phone calls to identify 581 households, primarily with Scottsdale addresses, that made or received more than three calls to the cellphones. Phone calls were also received from households in east Phoenix, Cave Creek, Mesa, Queen Creek and parts of the West Valley "The sheer size of this operation is daunting," said Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, whose office assisted with the investigation. This morning, Arpaio will send his Sheriff's Posse to those homes to talk with the parents and pass out fliers that contain drug-counseling and -prevention resources. Dubbed Operation Safe Schools, the door-to-door visits are designed to educate, not prosecute, Arpaio said. "I hope the doors are open when our 200 posse and deputies show up," he said. The Scottsdale Unified School District is known for its public schools, which often rank among the top in Stanford 9 and AIMS test scores. Arpaio has briefed Scottsdale School Superintendent John Baracy about the investigation's results, and Baracy said he will ask the Scottsdale School Board to use drug-sniffing dogs to conduct random searches of high schools. Baracy said that every high school in the state will have instances where a small number of students bring drugs to school. The school district needs to do everything possible to help students as well as ensure schools remain safe and drug-free, he said. For now, it's unclear whether the school district will discipline students listed in the Sheriff's Office report. The office has not provided the district with a list of those students. Arpaio said he may provide the school district with that information as early as Monday. Students who use drugs or are caught with drugs at school can face expulsion, although it's rare for a first-time offender to be kicked out. Students who were interviewed by the Sheriff's Office as part of the investigation confirmed that drug use does occur on campus. Some of their allegations could be troubling, if confirmed: Students said they were aware of numerous young people who made it a daily habit to use drugs at school. High school bathrooms are where drugs are most commonly consumed, they said. One student told detectives he saw other students snort cocaine and use heroin while sitting in class. Students would place their backpacks on the desks to hide their use. The Sheriff's Office report also says that "still another source told detectives that the source had witnessed members of the cheer squad at a Scottsdale high school use methamphetamines and call it a diet program. Yet another source told detectives about football players at a Scottsdale high school using steroids. None of the high schools were identified. In an interview before Arpaio's announcement on Friday, the Scottsdale school superintendent said there were no plans to change the school district's drug policies. The current policies are "pretty straightforward now," Baracy said. "There is no place for drugs on our campuses. We do need to offer programs for young adults who have issues." The heroin ring bust is not the first time Scottsdale schools have been linked to a high-profile drug investigation. In 2000, police discovered a small drug ring at Desert Mountain High School and expelled five students for distributing LSD. In the mid-1980s, several former Chaparral High School students were indicted on drug charges as part of a million-dollar cocaine network that at the time was the largest cocaine-trafficking ring ever broken in Arizona. Prosecutors said the ring's 21-year-old kingpin cleared a seven-figure income and lived a jet-set lifestyle that included sports cars, lavish parties and a home with a maid at the base of Camelback Mountain.