For Angela Martello, becoming Sleepy Hollow’s first female police sergeant is both a historic milestone and the latest chapter in a relationship with the community that began long before she put on a police uniform.
Martello grew up in Sleepy Hollow in a family deeply involved in village life. Her father was a volunteer firefighter and worked at the Post Office, while her mother served on the village Zoning Board and was involved with the PTA.
“I always felt like everyone knew who I was, and more importantly, I always felt supported,” Martello said.
Her own involvement began early. Between soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and Girl Scouts, Martello was rarely far from community activities. At 14, she joined the ambulance corps and fire department, an experience she now views as the beginning of her commitment to public service.
Law enforcement eventually became the career she wanted.
“I always knew I wanted a career where no two days would be the same,” she said. “Becoming a police officer was always something I wanted, and being able to build a career in my hometown and now become a sergeant is something that means a lot to me.”
Martello joined the Sleepy Hollow Police Department in 2015. Since then, she has served in several specialized roles, including field training officer, breath test operator, child passenger safety seat technician and CPR instructor.
She also became a New York State-certified instructor and has completed numerous train-the-trainer courses, allowing her to teach police officers and emergency personnel throughout Westchester County.
Those experiences, Martello said, taught her lessons she will carry into her new supervisory position, particularly the importance of communication, teamwork and helping others succeed.
When she learned she would be promoted, Martello said she felt “immensely proud.”
Her promotion makes her the first woman to achieve the rank of police sergeant in Sleepy Hollow, a distinction she appreciates but does not want to define her work.
“While I’m very proud to hold this rank, I don’t want the fact that I’m the first woman to define who I am as a police officer or as a sergeant,” Martello said. “At the end of the day, my shield says ‘sergeant,’ not ‘female sergeant.’”
Still, she recognizes what the milestone could mean for women who follow her.
“I hope that the significance of being the first is ultimately that I won’t be the last,” she said.
Martello credits several people with helping her reach this point. Among them is Sonia Hennessey, a former Sleepy Hollow police officer who later transferred to the Tarrytown Police Department. Seeing a woman serving as a police officer in her hometown gave Martello an example to look up to.
She also credits her close friend Shannon Hicks, a Westchester County police officer, as well as her parents, who encouraged her to believe that she could pursue whatever career she wanted.
Some of Martello’s most meaningful experiences, however, have come through seemingly ordinary interactions with residents.
Early in her career, Martello responded to a home where a young girl was reluctant to speak with police. Rather than rush the interaction, Martello sat on the floor of the girl’s bedroom and gave her time to talk.
Eventually, the girl opened up.
“At the end of our interaction, she told me I was the first person who had ever made her feel like they were willing to take the time to listen to her,” Martello recalled.
The encounter has stayed with her throughout her career and reinforced what she values about policing in a small community.
Martello has also been involved with the department’s holiday toy drive and efforts to “adopt” local families during the holiday season. Some families who once received assistance have returned years later to make donations of their own.
“To me, that really represents what this community is about, people helping people and giving back,” she said.
As a sergeant, Martello hopes to strengthen the relationship between officers and residents while taking on a larger role in educating and mentoring newer officers.
“I want to help them develop not only as police officers, but as members of this community,” she said.
Her promotion also gives her an opportunity to become the kind of example she once found in other women working in law enforcement.
“If one young girl sees me become the first female sergeant in Sleepy Hollow and thinks, ‘Maybe I can do that too,’ then I’m proud to be that example,” Martello said. “I hope she never feels that being a woman limits what she can accomplish.”
As she begins the next stage of her career, Martello said she is looking forward to growing as a leader and continuing to serve the hometown that helped shape her.
“I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about being the loudest person in the room,” she said. “It’s about being dependable, knowledgeable, willing to make difficult decisions, and always putting your team and community first.”
