For two weeks, there have been sightings of a new officer strolling around our school. Students filing in and out of Pascack Valley have taken quick and curious glances at Officer Sayers’ police car parked in the front of the building. Many students have been wondering why he’s here and, more importantly, what he’s doing to make our school a better place.

Officer Dave Sayers, a police officer who worked in Hillsdale for ten years, has just been hired as PV’s School Resource Officer in order to create a healthier, safer atmosphere for the school community.

For 10 years, Officer Sayers served as a police officer in town and has been accompanied by many others, making sure that every day in Hillsdale was a safe one.

Before becoming an officer, Officer Sayers was a student at George G. White Middle School and then at PV. After high school, he attended King’s College in Pennsylvania and majored in criminal justice alongside of sociology. He worked for his father for some time as a construction worker and assisted work on rooftops.

In 2005, at 24 years old, Officer Sayers came to the realization that he wanted to become a police officer and was later hired in Hillsdale.

“Helping people is one of the major reasons I wanted to become a police officer. I really enjoy making sure citizens are safe,” said Officer Sayers compassionately.

According to Officer Sayers, he takes on calls almost every day that individuals would think are life changing. He doesn’t have one memory of a most serious incident, but rather, memories of many.

“Just the other day there was a serious incident at the train tracks and I was called in to help alongside of ambulance trucks,” Officer Sayers said. “A few years ago on Thanksgiving, there was a fire in Hillsdale and the whole house was up in flames. Everyone made it out but one person and I had to go back into the house to save him.”

Officer Sayers describes that he could barely see anything because the “roar of the fire” was too intense. “Blackness from the smoke” had filled his vision.

Finally, he said that on his last breath, he found the man in the corner of the room, threw him over his shoulder, and exited the house.

His bravery and knowledge as an experienced police officer is helping him in his new role here at PV.

“I arrive at Pascack Valley before eight o’clock to meet with the staff and help with any problems that I can. During the day I engage in conversation with students and I deal with any situation that I can help with in an understanding way,” he said. “After leaving Pascack Valley, I assist with medical calls and then return home to my wife and two boys.”

As Sayers watches his sons grow up, he wants them to be able to make the “right choices” and “know right from wrong and good from bad.” He always wishes for them to trust their teachers throughout elementary, middle, and high school so they will be able to have someone to turn to if they need it.

Just like Officer Sayers wants his children to be able to feel safe with older, respected individuals, he wishes to make students at PV feel safe as well.