Petaluma Police Detective Named Region's Top Narcotics Officer

PETALUMA, CA – Sonoma County's police officer of the year has gone on to receive the title of regional narcotics officer of the year from the California Narcotics Officers Association. Petaluma police Detective Mike Page is officer of the year for CNOA's Region 1, which covers most of the California coast, the Petaluma Police Department announced late Wednesday in a news release.

The honor comes as Page, a 16-year veteran of the Petaluma PD, has served for the past four years as a task force officer for the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration Santa Rosa Task Force.

According to Petaluma PD, Page was the lead investigator for two major narcotic investigations involving violent drug trafficking organizations. He became the first task force officer in the DEA’s Santa Rosa Resident Office to surreptitiously monitor an operation involving associates of an organized drug cartel operating in northern California and across the United States.

Prior to his assignment in the task force, he was recognized as an outstanding patrol officer and was best known for his self-initiated activity which resulted in significant narcotic arrests.

"His visionary and proactive policing attitude brought further success to his career and the Department when he became a police canine handler," Petaluma police officials said in the news release.

Page is credited with expanding the department’s police service dog program with his canine partner 'Rico,' who was trained in handler protection, suspect apprehension and narcotics detection. Page and 'Rico'went on to become one of the most successful police service dog teams disrupting narcotics trafficking in Northern California.

"Their efforts with drug and criminal interdiction resulted in significant narcotics, currency from drug proceeds and weapon seizures with numerous associated arrests," PPD officials said.

When Rico transitioned into retirement, Page was selected as the sole police officer in Sonoma County to be assigned to the US DOJ DEA Santa Rosa Task Force as a DEA deputized task force officer.

Among the investigations he led was one involving international motorcycle gang members. The investigation resulted in the identification and historic single seizure of 575 pounds of methamphetamine in Sonoma County and multiple international arrests in Australia, dismantling this international criminal syndicate. Almost $1 million in assets were seized, making it the largest meth seizure in Sonoma County history.

"Detective Page, supported by many other law enforcement officers, worked tirelessly to stop the flow of narcotics into our community and arrest those responsible," Petaluma police officials said. "His efforts in the task force have resulted in millions of dollars of asset seizure for the city that helped purchase vehicles and emergency safety equipment for our officers."

Page — honored in March as Sonoma County Law Enforcement Chief's Association Exchange Club Police Officer of the Year for 2017 — will receive this new regional award at an upcoming CNOA annual training conference in San Diego, where he will compete for the statewide award against fellow narcotics officers from eight other regions in California.

Photos via Petaluma Police Department