Riverhead’s school resource officers help ‘bridge the gap’ between community and police

Many Riverhead parents are likely familiar with officers Eric Cohen and Kaley Castantine — friendly, approachable school resource officers from the Riverhead Police Department who walk the halls of the district’s schools. They were welcomed to the district in July as school safety concerns across the country continue to mount.

Their presence offers a deterrent to any possible transgressors at the schools and aims to foster a safe environment for students to learn, Central School Director of Safety and Security Terry Culhane said. He feels that the recently assigned officers have quickly become, “an invaluable asset to the school district.”

Students have grown familiar with Ms. Castantine and Mr. Cohen throughout the past five months — creating secret handshakes, getting tips about what to do during a traffic stop and developing a better understanding of police officers role in the community. 

Ms. Castantine said students were a “bit standoffish” with uniformed police officers in the buildings at the start of the school year. Now, she and Mr. Cohen have built a familiar rapport with the school community. 

“We’re here to bridge that gap, to make everyone feel comfortable and safe,” Ms. Castantine said. She is typically stationed at the middle school, but visits other schools in the district as well. Mr. Cohen is assigned to the high school, but also visits the district’s other buildings. 

The school resource officers were approved by the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years as part of an agreement between the district and Riverhead Town in July. The school board pays 50% of the cost to employ one of the two SROs through June 30, 2025. The Town Board will pay 50% of the cost to employ both SROs for the 2025-26 academic year and beyond, according to the agreement. 

This is not the first time the district has implemented school resource officers on its campuses. School officials allocated funds in the 2018-19 budget to hire school resource officer Byron Perez of the Riverhead Police Department.

Mr. Culhane advocated for the implementation of SROs in the district not only as a safety precaution, but also a way to build trust between the community and the police department. Friendly fist bumps between students and the officers are a “refreshing” sight in the halls of the middle and high schools, he said. 

“The kids in the elementary schools absolutely fawn over the officers when they come into the classroom,” Mr. Cullhane said. “They just love them. I couldn’t have picked two better officers.”

Riverhead Middle School principal Kellyann Parlato said the implementation of the SROs has gone, “very smoothly” so far this year. They greet students at morning drop off and wave goodbye during dismissal. The officers will also go outside at recess with the kids on certain days. 

Parents have been “warm and welcoming” of the SROs stationed in the schools, Ms. Parlato said. Riverhead High School principal Sean O’Hara said the implementation of the prorram has received “overwhelming support and appreciation” from the community. 

“I think that we as a district have done amazing work strengthening our security protocols,” Mr. O’Hara said. “And I think that this is just kind of another aspect. You know, they’re not functioning as security guards so to speak, they’re functioning as resource officers. 

“But God forbid something necessitated their involvement, they certainly are here,” he said. “And I think people do take comfort in knowing that we do have police officers present and on site.”

Stephanie Kaimis, a seventh-grade Social Studies teacher at the middle school, invited Ms. Castantine and Mr. Cohen to her classes to explain their role in the district. 

“The kids really enjoyed listening to all that they had to say,” Ms. Kaimis said,  “and I think the officers got to know the kids on a bit of a deeper level.”

The visibility and presence of SROs in the schools is something that Ms. Parlato believes helps students focus more on learning. 

“Their presence really just plays a vital role in fostering a safe and secure environment — not just for parents, but [also for] the students, staff and community,” she said. 

The Riverhead Police Department has long collaborated with the high school as part of its “Council For Unity” program which empowers students as leaders. Deborah Nigrel, a faculty member for the course, said students are encouraged to ask the officers questions — whether it be advice on a traffic ticket they received or information about what to do if they have to go to court. 

“I think that it’s really worked nicely,” Ms. Nigrel said. “And I think it’s a real positive to have them here in the building.”