'HE'S THERE TO PROTECT US'

Officer begins walking high school beat in St. Albans

Patrolman Mike Page moved through the bustling cafeteria at St.
Albans High School on Tuesday, shaking hands with students and flashing smiles.

It was the second day on the job for Page, the school's new
prevention resource officer, but it wasn't exactly unfamiliar territory.

"The kids know me. I play basketball with them. I lift weights with
them," he explained. "It's not like I'm a stranger." - advertisement -

St. Albans Principal Tom Williams said Page's presence will be felt
throughout the school day and across the campus.

"The kids are here, he's here," Williams said. "He can be here on
teacher work days, as well."

By guiding traffic out of the student parking lot, Williams also
expects Page to help ease the congestion that bogs down Kanawha
Terrace around 3 p.m. each afternoon.

St. Albans Mayor Dick Callaway had written a grant, hoping to staff a
full-time police officer at the high school after two students died
in the fall of 2005 in apparent prescription drug overdoses.

One student, Abby K. Young, 16, allegedly took morphine pills on
Thanksgiving night in 2005 and died in her sleep, school officials
had said. Justin Tyler Garner, also a 16-year-old junior, died five
days later after apparently ingesting the painkiller fentanyl. "After
that, we had some drug-related murders [in St. Albans] as well," Callaway said.

Page's new job is an outgrowth of the St. Albans drug task force, he
said. The officer underwent training in Putnam County that certified
several of his new responsibilities.

The Kanawha County school system doesn't have to pay for Page's new
assignment, as he's a St. Albans police officer.

He's expecting to head up at least one class per day, teaching
subjects that range from DUI and fingerprinting to juvenile justice
procedures and drug awareness.

Some students say having a uniformed police officer at school -- with
a pistol, badge and all -- probably won't be too bad.

"It's cool," said junior Thomas Osborne. "I mean he's really nice, so
everybody's nice to him." Osborne said there are not too many fights
at St. Albans. Still, Page being there should help curb student
violence, he said.

"I just think having the presence in the building hopefully will be a
deterrent," Williams added.

Junior Nicole Brightwell figures Page will make the school
environment safer. "I've talked to him once," she said. "I'd say for
a cop he's OK."

Senior Shayla Saunders agreed.

"I mean, it keeps the school more safe and stuff," she said. "He's
there to protect us."

While the first couple of days have been pretty calm, Page already
had to toss a girl out Monday for cussing at a principal, teacher and parent.

"Never a dull moment the first day," he said.