CREDIT: Lorraine Hjalte, Calgary Herald Mark Waage is Alberta's only police officer working with people affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

BANFF - Where other people see young troublemakers that should be locked up, Lethbridge Regional Police Const. Mark Waage often sees brain-damaged kids that could be helped.

As Alberta's only police officer dedicated full-time to helping youth and adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) navigate the justice system, he has been especially frustrated by the recent case of a 17-year-old whom he's seen in and out of court for years, whom he considers to be a good kid.

The teenager -- "who on a good day can spell his name" -- was part of a group that broke into a house and assaulted an acquaintance. The FASD teenager, "strapping" and heading towards six feet tall, was the only one of the group who gave police a statement when asked, and ended up behind bars, Waage said.

With a court appearance coming next week for the youth, Waage wants the judge to send the young man to work at a Carmangay ranch instead of allowing him to be influenced by the criminals he's with now. Given the offender's age, Waage believes both the susceptible teen and society would be better served by a different plan.

"Charging (those with severe FASD) isn't going to help them because they're so low-functioning," said Waage. "They end up going to jail and making new friends," he said. But "with support and guidance," Waage said of this young offender, "he does well."

Waage -- who talks like a social worker, but also pushes for some kids he works with to get locked up because they're threats to the public -- took up the cause of his innovative community resource program at an international conference on FASD organized by the Alberta and other western provincial and territorial governments, held in Banff this week.

He hopes speaking out will mean more law enforcement agencies will think about the disorder, and that more resources will then be put towards dealing with it. Waage said he believes it's an investment on the front end that can help prevent crime because many people who commit offences -- from petty theft to murder -- had mothers who drank while pregnant with them.

"If it works in our region, why wouldn't it work in the other regions?" You're benefiting the justice system, you're benefiting the individual," said Waage.

FASD is a term that describes a range of disabilities that can affect people exposed to alcohol in the womb. Affected children often suffer brain damage and birth defects, and many are impulsive and easily influenced by peers. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, at least one per cent of Canadians have the disorder.

Waage spends his days watching youth court for teenagers he knows or others he may not have identified as having FASD, looking for precious spots in group homes, setting up plans as to how an at-risk youth could best stay out of trouble, and educating others. "I'm really a co-ordinator a lot of times," he said.

Although experts at the conference say no one area of Alberta is more affected by FASD than others, the killing of 20-year-old Sharla Collier in Lethbridge 51/2 years ago brought attention to the disorder there.

Collier had been a youth worker for just a few weeks when she went out for a walk near the Oldman River with a teen from a group home. He bludgeoned her with a branch, then raped her. She died of blunt force trauma.

The teen, who was diagnosed with FASD, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in adult court and was sentenced to life in prison.

Although Waage's position, begun as a pilot project in 2000 by another officer and a local social worker, wasn't connected to the Collier case, Denise Milne, a senior manager with a focus on FASD at Alberta Children and Youth Service, said "the work that they've done as a result probably helped the community heal."

Of Waage, Milne said: "He has a passion for dealing with this."

Waage's salary is funded by the provincial government. In April's budget, the Alberta government dedicated $12.5 million to programs to prevent, diagnose and improve access to treatment for the disorder.

Also speaking at the conference was American academic Sterling Clarren, who has studied FASD since 1975 and is a leading researcher on the subject. He said Western Canada is leading work on the disorder, thanks to strong clinical research, the effective mobilization of the families of kids with the disorder, and political attention to the issue.

kcryderman@theherald.canwest.com