Acton-Boxborough School Resource Officer (SRO) Program

The Acton Boxborough Regional School District has an agreement with the Acton Police Department to have School Resource Officers in our schools.  We are currently in discussions with the Boxborough Police Department about a similar agreement.

About the Program 

As part of our Agreement with the Acton Police, the police department provides two full-time officers in our schools.

A “school resource officer” is a duly sworn municipal police officer, or a special officer appointed by the chief of police, with all necessary training and up-to-date certificates, including special school resource officer certification as required by subsection (b) of section 3 of chapter 6E of the General Laws and is charged with:
(i) providing law enforcement; (ii) promoting school safety and security services to elementary and secondary public schools; and (iii) maintaining a positive school climate for all students, families, and staff.

Under state law, the SRO shall not (i) serve as school disciplinarian, enforcer of school regulations, or in place of licensed school psychologists, psychiatrists, or counselors; or (ii) use police powers to address traditional school discipline issues, including non-violent disruptive behavior.

The principal or principal’s designee shall be responsible for student code of conduct violations and routine disciplinary violations. The SRO shall be responsible for investigating and responding to potential criminal or delinquent offenses as well as student conduct that requires immediate intervention to maintain safety.

Both the schools and police recognize that many acts of student conduct that may contain all the necessary elements of a criminal offense are best handled through the school’s disciplinary process.

You can read the full Memorandum of Understanding for detailed information about the SRO program and the relationship between the schools and the police.

Meet the SROs

 Detective Anthony “AJ” Rotella has been serving as the School Resource Officer since 2022, working closely with students in grades 7-12. As a member of the Acton Police Department since 2016, AJ holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Southern New Hampshire University. He is proud to be an uncle to five nieces and nephews, and just a few months ago, he and his wife welcomed their first baby boy. In his role as SRO, AJ is dedicated to fostering positive relationships between youth and law enforcement, and he is honored to contribute to the safety and well-being of the school community.



Detective Ana Dapkas began her role as the School Resource Officer in 2024, focusing primarily on students in grades K-6. She also serves as the main contact for two collaborative schools in the district. With over a decade of experience at the Acton Police Department and more than five years working with the Department of Children and Families (DCF), Ana brings a wealth of knowledge to her position as well as being bilingual. Ana earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology & Sociology with a minor in Women’s Studies from the University of Massachusetts Boston. As a mother of three boys, she approaches her role with an extra dose of love and passion. Ana is eager to build strong connections with the youth in the community and looks forward to making a positive impact.

Situations Where SROs May Be Involved

The guiding principle for SRO involvement in a school incident is whether conduct rises to the level of criminal and delinquent conduct that..

1. poses substantial harm to the physical well-being of another person
2. is willful and malicious and causes substantial harm to the property of the school
3. constitutes the taking of property of substantial value belonging to another with intent to permanently deprive the property owner of the property

Immediate Safety Concerns:

It may be appropriate for school administrators rather than the SRO to deal with low-level offenses including but not limited to misdemeanor allegations of threats, assault and battery, larceny, receiving stolen property, and willful, malicious, or wanton destruction or injury to personal property. School staff shall not ask an SRO to serve as a school disciplinarian or enforcer of school regulations.

If student conduct that requires immediate intervention to maintain safety (whether or not the conduct involves criminal conduct), the SRO may act to de-escalate the immediate situation (where feasible) and to protect the physical safety of members of the school community.

School personnel may request the presence of the SRO when they have a reasonable and articulable fear of an imminent threat to their safety or the safety of students or other personnel.

Mental Health Concerns:

SRO shall inform the principal or principal’s designee, where practicable, to facilitate supportive intervention by school staff on behalf of the student in an emergency situation where a student may be in immediate need of emergency medical or psychological assistance.  Intervention by an SRO is appropriate when a school nurse, psychologist, or social worker is not available, and. the SRO believes that failure to intervene would create a substantial likelihood of serious harm to the student, other students, school personnel or result in destruction to school property by reason of mental illness or psychological trauma.

Questions about SRO Involvement

If you have a question about the involvement of an SRO in an incident at your child's school, please speak with a building administrator.

How to Contact an SRO

Grades K-6: email Detective Ana Dapkas
Grades 7-12: email Detective AJ Rotella
SRO Supervisor: email Lieutenant Scott Krug

If you need to speak with an SRO in a language other than English, please contact an administrator at your child's school and we can arrange for interpretation services.

Questions or concerns about the SRO Program?  

You can ask questions, send feedback or share concerns about the SRO program by emailing [email protected].  Emails sent to this email address are shared with police and school district Leadership.

Training for SROs

Additional Information

Before adopting the most recent Memorandum of Understanding with the Acton Police, the Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee engaged in a substantial study of the SRO Program.  You can read more about that process on the School Resource Officer Subcommittee Website.