The 'Wonder Woman' of the NYPD: How Chief Materasso is overhauling police training
Materasso was born in the Bronx and raised on Long Island.
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News 12 is highlighting a female trailblazer inside the nation's largest police department during Women's History Month.
Chief Martine Materasso made history as the NYPD's first female counterterrorism chief, but now she's training the next generation.
"So, my father is also retired from the New York City Police Department. Since I was a young girl, it was something that I said I wanted to do and that I never swayed from," she says.
Materasso was born in the Bronx and raised on Long Island. She says she set her sights on the job early, but once she got there, she says she had to prove she belonged.
"I think for myself, being a young sergeant. When they first looked at me, I think they said, 'I'm not really sure,' but I think once they saw me out in the field, they knew that I came prepared," she says.
As she moved up through the ranks, she took on some of the toughest commands across the Bronx and Manhattan. Then in 2019, at the age of 42, the mother of two made history - becoming the first woman to lead the NYPD's Counterterrorism Bureau.
"Being chosen to lead the Counterterrorism Bureau of the New York City Police Department meant so much to me. I was a young police officer that day on 9/11, and then for women, I think it really shows that you can be anything that you put your mind to," she says.
Over the years, she had different commands and different roles that led her to becoming the chief of training - responsible for how officers are prepared for the job and the modern challenges of policing.
"One of our top qualities, you have to lead with integrity. Every day, it’s a new challenge for them, and they have to be up for the task," she says. To do that, the department is rolling out one of its most significant training overhauls in decades.
Officers will take part in recurring training throughout their careers - focused on tactics, de-escalation and even situational awareness.
Her leadership has not gone unnoticed - in her office is a growing "Wonder Woman" collection left by officers she has inspired.
"Each piece that is here means so much to me that I have now inspired somebody else," she says.
Her advice for the next generation of women coming up behind her is simple.
"Lead by example," she says.
