Officer Gramigna Expected To Be Named SRO at Harrison High School

Two weeks ago, Sgt. Peter DeVittorio left a void in the Harrison Central School District when he accepted an incentive package to retire as the Student Resource Officer.  Now, the popular program is one step away from moving forward with a replacement.

Acting Harrison Chief of Police Anthony Marraccini said Tuesday that the department has selected Alexandra Gramigna, a five-year veteran of the local police, to become the new SRO at the high school.  Gramigna will interview with school administrators in the coming weeks, the final step before officially moving into the position.

"I am very confident that she will exceed the criteria that is required," Marraccini said.  "She is an outstanding officer and I am giving one of my best people to the school."

The SRO program in the Harrison School District has been in existence since 2003.  The program allows for a uniformed police officer to work in the school district full-time.  The officer is used as a resource for kids if they have questions about anything ranging from law to relationships. 

According to Harrison Superintendent of Schools Louis Wool, the program has received positive feedback from parents, teachers and students during its six years of existence.

"It gives police an opportunity to develop a very positive relationship with kids as opposed to the typical relationship that kids tend to have on the outside with police officers, which is you doing something you shouldn't be doing," said Wool.

Although the Harrison Police Department has also been affected by the retirement incentive program, Marraccini said that he recognized that finding the right person for the position in the high school was a priority.

"It was as important to make a swift decision as it was to make a conscientious decision," said Marraccini.  "We wanted to see the program continue with as little interruption as possible."

If the selection is finalized by the school district, Gramigna will essentially be asked to fill two positions within the district.  The full-time SRO position at the middle school has been eliminated by budget cuts and although she would work primarily in the high school, Gramigna will likely spend some time in both buildings.

Marraccini said that Gramigna, who is also attending law school at Pace Univerisity, has responded well the challenges in the past.

"She is very intelligent," said Marraccini.  "Any task or assignment she has been given with this police department has always been done well above standard."

The final step in the process is expected to be completed within the next few weeks.  The upcoming meetings will be a tool to make sure that Gramigna is a long term solution for the void left in the high school community by DeVittorio's retirement.

"Whenever you lose somebody like the sergeant that has been around for a while it's always emotionally difficult for the kids. It's a sense of loss," Wool said.  "It is really about the relationships and that is why the stability part is so important and the match is so important."

Parents, students and teachers alike will now wait for the process to run its course and for the program to move forward.

"No one has said 'Oh good it's over,'" Wool said.  "Everybody is saying when are we going to get this thing fixed, get it right and get somebody back here."