Mark P. Pititti, Williamsville South High School, Class of 1985  (Inducted 2017)

Detective Mark Pitirri has been with the Amherst Police Department for 23 years.  He is currently a Detective with the Special Victims Unit which specializes in the investigation of sex crimes and child abuse. Previously, he served as a Field Training Officer responsible for training new recruits and as a D.A.R.E. Instructor who visited local schools and taught fifth grade students about the dangers of drug abuse, helping them develop the skills necessary to resist drug and alcohol use.  Detective Pitirri also worked in the Family Offense Unit, which investigated domestic violence cases. He is currently a trained hostage negotiator for the APD and oversees the Amherst Police Youth Court.

Detective Pitirri is an active volunteer for the Western New York Police Helpline, which provides crisis intervention and support to fellow officers and their families. He also volunteers for the Western New York Stress Reduction Program, an affiliate program, providing critical incident stress management to emergency service providers and first responders. Recipient of two APD merit awards, Detective Pitirri was the runner-up for the 2016 Lt. Joseph F. Adamy Officer of the Year Award.

After graduating from Williamsville South, Detective Pitirri earned an associate’s degree at Erie Community College and attended the police academy. His first job in law enforcement was as a corrections officer at the Shawangunk Maximum Security Correctional Facility located in Ulster County.

He resides in East Amherst with his wife Mary and their two children who both attend school in Williamsville.