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Grasmere resident Rita Polidori O'Brien and Police Officer Steve D'Amico swap hats during the Women's march in Manhattan on Saturday. (Courtesy of Rita Polidori O'Brien)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When Grasmere resident Rita Polidori O'Brien encounters interesting people in her travels she has "this quirky little habit" where she swaps hats with them and takes a photo.

Saturday -- the day she and her daughter, Stella, 14, joined 400,000 people for the Women's March in Manhattan, which was one of more than 600 marches for women's right's worldwide -- she encountered Police Officer Stephen D'Amico, a Neighborhood Coordination Officer (NCO) with the 122 Police Precinct, New Dorp.

"Almost one hour into the march, I noticed Officer D'Amico and his partner because they were being helpful and very courteous to demonstrators, facilitating the march up 42nd Street, east of Grand Central Station," said O'Brien, who is a board member of the Metro New York Chapter of the U.S. National Committee for U.N. Women, which is the United Nations' entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

"I asked if we could pose for a picture, and if I could try on his hat. With good nature, he said I could, but only if I'd let him wear mine," she recalled.

O'Brien was wearing the signature "PussyHat" worn by marchers across the country.

"People in the crowd were clapping and cheering -- I felt it was a show of solidarity amidst what could be perceived as an adversarial situation. I thanked the officers for keeping us safe during the march, and was grateful for the opportunity to walk with my daughter and peacefully exercise our right to freedom of speech," said O'Brien, who is vice president of marketing and communications at United Legwear & Apparel Co. in Manhattan.

D'Amico, who is part of a new team of NCO officers at the 122 Police Precinct, whereby officers work more closely with the community, said he was happy to engage with O'Brien at the march.

"She (O'Brien) had come along, like everyone else, right past my post and thanked me. I happened to notice she had a 5 Boro pin on her jacket. ... I said, 'Richmond Hood,' -- the store that sells the pins -- and right away she felt a connection to me," said D'Amico.

"It was cool to make a connection with a stranger, and show police offerers aren't just there to be police officers. At the end of the day, we took this job as a choice and we took it because we are there to help people when they need us most," he added.

O'Brien said such a gesture from D'Amico was very welcome at a time where there is "so much political division" in the country -- and in the borough.

"It's a time for healing in this country and in our own community. In this single image, Staten Islanders prove that we know how to work together despite challenges and differences," she said.

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