As far back as Sofia Papamitrou can remember, she has always been into science.  

After college, she looked for a job that would not only put her degree in biology to use but one that would also be new and interesting every day. That, and the advice of a close friend, led her to pursue a master’s degree in forensic sciences, and eventually to a career with the New York City Police Department (NYPD). 

“Every fingerprint, firearm or drug analysis, we are using verified scientific techniques,” says Papamitrou, a criminalist level IV and member of AFSCME Local 3778 (District Council 37).  

“Every procedure has to stand up in court, so you can’t just go rogue in your work,” she says. “Our reports can be the difference between justice being served or not, and you have to be able to defend your work in front of a judge and jury if you are called to do so.” 

Papamitrou and her nearly 300 co-workers are committed to public service and to enhancing the safety of their community through their work.  

“I really enjoy it because I know I am serving my community,” Papamitrou says. “It can be exciting to see something you do in the lab help people’s lives. But it is not the romanticized version they put on TV.” 

Papamitrou says they call it “the CSI effect” — when people mention a TV show or movie that they think captures her job. But what is left out are the long hours, the work that can too often go unappreciated and, most importantly, the impact the work has on their personal lives. 

“There is a human behind the evidence,” she says. “You don’t want to lose touch with why your work matters, but you also have to be careful that it doesn’t consume you. You see a friend’s baby cuddling with a blanket that is exactly the same as one you just saw at work covered in blood. You grab a bottle of wine but then can’t open it because you remember the photos of a bottle of that same wine from a crime scene. If you let this job get to you, there will be painful and gruesome reminders everywhere you look.” 

To help her co-workers, as well as herself, Papamitrou is part of a peer support group. They also have access to professional help when needed. These are benefits she and her co-workers fought for in their union contract. 

“I can’t imagine what it would be like if we didn’t have a union,” she says. “With DC 37/AFSCME, we know we always have backup and support. It means our voice is heard when we need to improve safety, when we need stronger benefits or any of the dozens of other things to lower turnover, support our careers and protect us when needed.” 

Papamitrou and her co-workers recently celebrated National Forensic Science Week and, working through their union and NYPD, held several events to celebrate the fact that behind every successful investigation is the science, and scientists, that makes it possible. 

“We held an open house for family and friends to come in and tour the lab,” Papamitrou says. “We all get so busy and stuck in our own testing that it is good to connect with your co-workers and know what they are working on and how it overlaps with the work you do because it takes all of us coming together to do this work.”