By Susan Miele

After 38 years with the Bronxville Police Department, Chief Christopher Satriale will retire this week. A public farewell is scheduled for this Friday. Satriale began his tenure in 1988 at age 20 and worked his way up the ladder—officer, detective, sergeant, detective sergeant, lieutenant--to become Chief of Police in 2007. Whether disrupting crime, responding to the scene of an accident, or issuing public-safety announcements, Chief Satriale has been taking care of the Bronxville community for almost four decades.

“My training sergeant told me 38 years ago, ‘Every day you work, your name should be in a report so that the next day the chief will see ‘Officer Satriale reported a missing person,’ ‘Officer Satriale reported a traffic light out,’ etc. You want to show you’re out there and looking and working.”

Though state-of-the-art technology upgrades like license-plate readers and body cameras have been implemented under his watch, Satriale considers himself “old school.” Having come of age in the analog era, he’s always carried an index card in his pocket to take notes and learned to hone his mental acuity. Who could forget his astounding prowess in identifying a burglar back in 2016, when he spotted a car in Thornwood that matched the description provided by an eyewitness? But not all police duties are cinematic. The Chief has also issued many alerts to the community regarding alarm permits, the importance of locking car doors, and road closures, all of which contribute to a secure village.

Satriale has made important contributions toward protecting the children of Bronxville, as well. He was the village’s first trained designated youth officer. He and his department have worked closely with the Bronxville Schools to introduce safety measures like staff identification cards, security cameras, and active-shooter drills.

Chief Satriale’s presence has been felt throughout the community, and it’s the community that he will miss. The decision to step down has not been an easy one. “I love this place,” he said when interviewed for this article. “I can’t envision myself ever waking up and saying, ‘I have to get out of here.’ There will never be anything about this job that I hate and want to run away from.”

Satriale attributes his job satisfaction to the people of Bronxville—the Village leaders, the merchants, the residents. His long tenure and palpable community presence have allowed the formation of strong relationships. He can recall “chasing after” Bronxville kids who have since grown up and are now raising their own families here. “There’s nothing better than having these long-term relationships.”

Longstanding relationships have also been formed within Village Hall, and Satriale is grateful for the unflagging support he’s received. Mayor Marvin is another example of longevity in the administration, and the two share mutual respect. Though there have been multiple mayors, trustees, and village administrators since Satriale became Chief, he cites a culture and community values that have been passed down.

“Everybody has consistently made decisions that were in the best interest of residents, merchants, and visitors--not politics,” Satriale noted. “Politics and socioeconomic status never came into consideration. Decisions have always been in the best interest of constituents. When you have that as a basis, you can’t go wrong. People just care--care on a level that’s deeper than anything I’ve seen anywhere else.”

Though Satriale has worked only in Bronxville, he reports that police in other municipalities are amazed at his quality of life. These sources cite politics, budgeting, and pressure as common negative forces in their jurisdictions, which Satriale has not experienced.

“I shall miss the Chief greatly, both as a leader and a friend,” Mayor Marvin commented. “But I know that his heart will forever remain in Bronxville, as he bleeds Bronco blue!”

“It has been an honor to have had the opportunity to work so closely with Chief Satriale for the last 22 years,” said Village Trustee Robert Underhill. “He has been a great police officer, chief of police and leader. During his almost 40 years with the BPD, he has shaped our department to be the finest of any village in the State. Chris has been a blessing to Bronxville.”

“This has been my life. It’s part of my fabric, of who I am.” To put 38 years in perspective, Satriale’s first supervisor told the other officers not to serve him alcohol at the holiday party.

To be sure, Bronxville’s outgoing chief will not retire to sit on his couch and eat bonbons. He acknowledges that his mind never rests, as observation and calculation aren’t behaviors he can easily turn off when not on duty. He’s even had to kick his kids out of his personal car to go on a chase.

What will he not miss? He was hard-pressed to answer this but won’t miss getting calls in the middle of the night. “That means something really bad happened.” He won’t mind not having to respond to fatal fires or witness the suffering of victims of a crime or accident. “Those things weigh on you,” he said. “You take them home with you.”

Many in the police profession have a countdown clock reporting the number of years and days till retirement, but Satriale is not looking forward to November 13.

“I stress to my team that this is a police family and the village is truly a family,” Satriale reflected. “There’s no other place like it.”

In addition to cherished relationships, he’ll take with him the satisfaction of helping people and the pride that comes from knowing “that we as a team have tried our best to make the best possible decisions on behalf of the residents, merchants, and visitors to the village.”

While Chief Satriale’s official last day of service will be Sunday, November 15, his final office day is Friday, November 13. To honor him for his service to Bronxville, a walkout will take place on November 13 at 3:00 pm in front of Village Hall. The community is invited to join the event to share in this homage and pay respects.

Lieutenant Nicholas DeYoung is next in line to be Chief.