DEAR ABBY: I'm writing in response to the letter from "Reader in the East" (March 21), asking what to give someone who has just graduated from the police academy. Abby, the patron saint of police officers and law enforcement is St. Michael, not St. Christopher!

Another thoughtful gift would be a charm of the trooper's shield with his badge number on it. I gave my husband a small replica of his shield with his number on the front and a message of love and safety on the back. He never goes out the door without his "good luck shield." He says that it and his bulletproof vest are the best protection he has. (He also has a St. Michael's medal, and wears it as well.) -- TROOPER'S WIFE IN NEW YORK

DEAR TROOPER'S WIFE: Thank you for the excellent gift idea, and for straightening me out about who the patron saint of law enforcement is. (Many folks corrected me on that one.) Others offered alternative suggestions for gifts. Read on:

DEAR ABBY: Police officers spend many hours in their patrol cars. Thermal coffee mugs and coolers in which to carry their lunch make great gifts. Also, if someone really wants to go all out, an extra pair of handcuffs always comes in "handy." (Pun intended!) I hope this helps. -- POLICE OFFICER'S WIFE IN HOUSTON

DEAR ABBY: If the officer is Hispanic, a St. Sebastian medal would be appropriate. "St. Seb." is the patron saint of Hispanic police officers. -- AUDREY IN PITTSBURGH

DEAR ABBY: How about a picture frame to showcase his official officer photo? Or, the reader could contact the police department he will be joining to see where their officers purchase uniform items. Those uniform shops sell numerous accessories for police officers that can be purchased by civilians. -- TOM IN EWING, N.J.

DEAR ABBY: A high-powered flashlight is a good gift, or a very nice pen with black ink for report writing. Also, check to find out if he has to buy his own body armor. Bulletproof vests can cost around a thousand dollars, and money toward that purchase could be money well-invested. -- TERRI IN JENNINGS, KAN.

DEAR ABBY: My mother gave me a policeman's Bible. I lost my job as a police officer due to alcohol. If I had stayed with my head in the Bible rather than my lips to the bottle, I'd still be pursuing the job I had waited for since birth.

Also, please tell the soon-to-be officer first and foremost to remember his code of ethics, and anytime he deals with someone, regardless of race, gender, nationality or sexual orientation, always treat that person as he would want a member of his family treated. If he has the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics in his heart and follows it, I can almost guarantee him a long and successful career. -- HOPING TO HELP, JACKSON, MISS.

DEAR ABBY: I have been a police officer for 15 years. I would suggest getting him something NOT related to police work -- movie tickets, a video rental card, dinner for two. "The job" can destroy marriages, relationships, even people. From a cop's point of view, the best gift "Reader in the East" can give is time with loved ones away from work, along with a note of good luck, of course. -- CHASING BAD GUYS IN OREGON

What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in "What Every Teen Should Know." To order, send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $6 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in the price.)

DEAR ABBY: This may seem like a dumb question, but I really need to know the answer. Can you get pregnant when your breasts are still underdeveloped?

My boyfriend says you can't, but I need to know for sure. I'm afraid to keep birth control in my room because my little sister, who I have to share a room with, constantly snoops through my stuff when I'm not there. She would be sure to show it to our parents if she found it because she loves to get me in trouble, so I really need to know the answer to this. -- QUESTIONING IN OKLAHOMA

DEAR QUESTIONING: There is no such thing as a "dumb" question.

Your boyfriend is mistaken. Breast development has nothing to do with whether a girl can become pregnant. The onset of a young woman's menstrual cycle has everything to do with it. Under no circumstances should you have unprotected sex. Not only will it place you at risk for pregnancy, but also for sexually transmitted infections.

DEAR ABBY: After six months of marriage, my son and daughter-in-law have decided that it is not what they wanted. They are being divorced. They would like to return the gifts of money they received from family and friends, along with the other gifts they received.

How should they go about returning the money, and what do you say to well-wishing people? -- EMBARRASSED AND DISAPPOINTED IN NEW YORK

DEAR EMBARRASSED AND DISAPPOINTED: Rather than feeling "embarrassed and disappointed," be glad that your son and daughter-in-law realized they had made a mistake before any grandchildren came along.

Let's hope they made a list of how much money each of the donors gave them. If that's the case, they should have no trouble writing checks to them for that amount. The checks should be enclosed with a brief note, thanking them again for their generosity, and telling them that "regretfully, the marriage did not work out." The same is true for any UNUSED wedding gifts.

DEAR ABBY: What do you do about an ex-fiance who just won't let go? I ended the engagement 10 months ago and have moved on. However, my ex has sent me letters, and there is evidence that he has sat on my front porch waiting for me to come home.

Recently he found out through a mutual friend that I have been seeing someone. He keeps trying to pry details about my new relationship out of this friend. I'm sure he's trying to find out if I was dating while I was still engaged.

Now he plans to attend a community theater production I am appearing in. How do I handle this situation? -- NEEDS AN "EX"ORCIST IN ST. CHARLES, MO.

DEAR NEEDS AN "EX"ORCIST: Your former fiance appears to be obsessed with you, to the point that you are being stalked. Whether you dated someone while you were engaged to him is irrelevant because the relationship is over.

Because his behavior is obsessive, I recommend you discuss this problem with your local police department. They can tell you what precautions you may need to take -- and also if the man has a prior history of stalking behavior.

To receive a collection of Abby's most memorable -- and most frequently requested -- poems and essays, send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $6 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in the price.)

DEAR ABBY: I couldn't help but add my two cents to the letter you printed from "Hungry in Madison Heights, Mich." (March 2), about the supervisor who stole everyone's food, candy, etc.

At my job, we had the same problem. "Dan" would open people's drawers and eat whatever he found, too. He would even go into lunch bags. It didn't matter if you were sitting there or not -- if it was food, he was into it!

One day a man who worked with him opened his desk drawer and realized that a tiny field mouse had gnawed through the wrapper of his candy bar and eaten part of it. He took the bar out of his desk and left it sitting there while he went to find someone to take care of the mouse. While he was gone, Dan entered his office, saw the candy, and took and ate it! Everyone except me was upset about him eating something that a mouse had nibbled. I was glad! Needless to say, Dan never took what wasn't his again. -- MAUREEN IN WEST CHICAGO

DEAR MAUREEN: When I printed that letter from "Hungry," I had no idea how pervasive the problem is. Some readers suggested that the supervisor suffered from a compulsive eating disorder or undiagnosed diabetes. Others said he was simply a jerk. And here's how they dealt with it:

DEAR ABBY: My husband was plagued by a co-worker who ate treats from his desk. I told him to set out some "cookies" I had just purchased at Petco. They look exactly like human cream cookies. My husband left them out when he knew the offender would be around, and then left the office. When he returned, sure enough -- the cookies were gone. Nothing was ever said, but he never raided my husband's desk again. -- GAYLE IN PORT ORCHARD, WASH.

DEAR ABBY: I have a rather naughty solution for "Hungry in Madison Heights." Place a bowl of sugar-free candy on his desk. I guarantee the supervisor won't dip into it more than once before he learns about the way sorbitol acts on one's digestive system. -- NANCY IN FOWLER, OHIO

DEAR ABBY: That letter brought back a memory that made me laugh. In order to prevent her brothers from chowing down on her personal snacks, my youngest daughter would -- in full view of them -- lightly lick the top of the cookies, container of popcorn, etc. After that, they wouldn't touch it! -- CAROL IN BEACON FALLS, CONN.

DEAR ABBY: That supervisor is nothing more than a bully. He's using his position as their boss to belittle them and crush their egos into submission. He's stealing from them and damaging production potential by creating a hostile workplace. Perhaps if Human Resources saw the damage done in dollar signs, they would have been more helpful and paid attention to the complaints in the first place.

The afflicted workers should sign statements attesting to what he has been doing and send them en masse to the man's supervisor. If nothing is done or retaliation occurs, legal action should be set in motion. -- BULLIED ONCE IN BUFFALO

DEAR ABBY: If "Hungry's" co-workers are imaginative, the next time the supervisor opens a candy box in their desk drawers, the man will find six or eight copies of your column inside. -- DALE IN EL CERRITO, CALIF.

For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more attractive person, order "How to Be Popular." Send a business-size, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $6 (U.S. funds only) to: Dear Abby Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included.)