Getting to know Officer Matt Laccetti

Somers High School students and staff: when you see Officer Matt Laccetti making his rounds, take a minute to stop and get to know him. He’s the new School Resource Officer (SRO), and he is quickly becoming an integral member of the school community.

“I want to be a resource for students and staff,” Laccetti said this week, his first full week in the assignment. “I want to be an advocate for them, someone who they can come and talk to about a problem, or about something positive. When they look at me, I want them to see someone who is going to have their back.”

(If you’re looking for something to talk about, you can ask about his favorite teams, the Jets and the Mets.)

Each of Somers Central School District schools is served by an SRO, who is a Westchester County Police officer. This year, Laccetti stepped into the post held for the previous 12 years by Matt Hickey, who left the district at the end of last school year.

On site just a few days, Laccetti has already spent time getting to know students and led a driving safety lesson with Assistant Principal Brian Carroll.

“SRO Matt Laccetti has been a welcome addition to Somers High School,” said Principal Peter Rodrigues. “Although he has only been with us a few days, he has already done his best to integrate himself into life at the high school. He has gone out of his way to meet students and get to know them. We are very happy to have him join us at SHS.” 

Law enforcement wasn’t Laccetti’s first profession. After graduating from SUNY Cortland, he joined a recruitment marketing agency and began climbing the professional ladder. After six years, he switched to law enforcement to pursue what he considered to be a more rewarding career.

After serving as a Westchester County Police patrol officer for two years, he became an SRO to become a more positive force in the life of a community. That paid off from the moment the students began arriving at the school;  Laccetti was heartened by how friendly and polite they were.

“It’s nice to deal with students who are friendly, smiling, waving,” he said. “It’s a nice community. Everybody cares about each other.”