Working first as a patrol officer and then as a field training officer mentoring and evaluating new recruits, Romano was always interested in work as a detective.

“When I first joined the department, I actually thought I wanted to work in our 
Bureau of Identification, which is our crime scene unit,” said Romano.

The New Haven Police Department offers officers 180-day assignments with specialized units, allowing them to work alongside those teams and explore potential career paths, Romano said.

“Unfortunately, there were no openings for the Identification Unit, but there was an 
opportunity to do a 180-day assignment with the Special Victims Unit,” said Romano. “Initially, I did not think I was going to like the assignment, but I wanted to see how detectives worked their cases. Once I got to the Special Victims Unit, the detectives there completely opened my eyes. I saw how passionate they were about these cases and how much they cared about the survivors who came forward.”

Sgt. Cherelle Carr '11, special victims unit supervisor, was a detective within the Special Victims Unit at the time of Romano’s six-month assignment.

“Samantha was an excellent patrol officer but when she came up for the 180-day assignment she dove right in with questions. On top of her already being precise in how she approaches a case, she’s also putting the time in to make sure no stone goes unturned,” said Carr.

The unit’s detectives investigate cases involving domestic violence, crimes against children and sexual assault.

“Being able to bring justice to these survivors, especially children survivors, is a feeling like no other,” Romano said.

Many survivors feel as though they can’t come forward for a host of different reasons: shame, embarrassment, fear of not being believed, Romano added. “When a survivor does come forward, I always want to be a person they feel comfortable with, and at the end of our interactions, if they feel heard, feel seen, and feel believed, that is the most impactful part of my job.”

In December 2023, the New Haven Police Department recognized Romano’s selflessness and dedication by presenting her with the Detective Andrew Faggio Service Award. The award is presented to a sworn member of the department who is viewed by their peers as selfless and compassionate, who exhibits unyielding integrity and devotion to both their fellow officers and the department and who brings pride and honor to those who serve with them, according to the award’s description.

“Perseverance and leadership are some things you just can’t teach,” added Carr. “Perseverance — as in ‘I’m not going to stop until I solve this case’ to the point where Samantha encourages other officers to push themselves harder — makes her a real leader and makes this unit better.”

When asked if she has any words of advice for remaining safe, Romano stressed, “Always go out in groups and share locations with your friends. Never leave a friend alone, especially if any type of substance is involved. Have fun but remember not everyone is your friend and not everyone has pure intentions. Should something happen, even if you are not sure exactly what happened, tell someone. You are not alone and there are people who are willing and want to help.”