Princeton Police Officer Helps Sketch Future of Department

Not everyone gets a chance to follow their passion in life. 

Princeton Police Sgt. Steve Riccitello is lucky. He's had the opportunity to follow two- law enforcement and art. 

He recently had the opportunity to combine them.

It started in early 2012, when Riccitello volunteered for a committee that would design a new arm patch for the consolidated police departments. 

"We wanted to go with something totally new and commemorative of the historic consolidation (between Princeton Borough and Princeton Township police departments)," he said. 

Ideas included an image of crossed swords featuring the dates the two departments were founded, and the Battle of Princeton monument in front of the former Borough Hall. 

Then the committee struck upon the idea of depicting a scene from the Battle of Princeton. As the resident artist, Riccitello was tasked with sketching designs. 

He researched the battle and drew George Washington riding on a horse and leading his troops into battle. And because the battle was fought at 7 a.m., Riccitello drew the sunrise at Washington's back.

"I knew that as an artist and designer that the design has be very simple," he said. 

Rounding out the patch design are the values every Princeton police officer is expected to uphold: service, knowledge, honor and integrity. Boughs of wheat symbolize good health and good fortune. The patch also lists the dates each of the former police departments were established, plus the first year of the new department.

With the committee's approval, Riccitello then shrunk down the design and emailed it to Samzie's Uniforms in Ewing. Samzie's forwarded the design to China, where the image was simplified for manufacturing.

After correcting some of the Chinese company's prototypes (can you imagine George Washington with black hair?), the patch went into production in China in August and 1,500 patches arrived in Princeton in the fall. 

"It's great to have something start from an idea into grow in something you can actually see now," he said. 

Riccitello said the feedback on the new design has been positive. The new patch is larger than the old one, so they were simply sewn over the former patches. 

"I say to the guys (in the hall) 'Hey, that's a nice patch,' he said laughing. 

Born and raised in Trenton, Riccitello said he always had a talent for art. His favorite artists include Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt.

Riccitello earned a bachelor's degree in fine art from the School of Visual Arts in New York. He then did freelance work in the city and thought about ways to make a living with his art, including graphic design and advertising.  

Ultimately, he decided that New York just wasn't his scene. 

"My second career was always police," he said. "My cousin is a police officer and my brother was a corrections officer."

On Oct. 1, Riccitello will celebrate 27 years as a Princeton police officer. He still sketches in his free time and enjoys doing home remodeling projects. He also enjoys his day job.

"I still feel good about coming here and I'm still healthy," the 52-year-old Riccitello said.