New Burrell school resource officer fields almost 70 tips this school year for students in distress

Burrell School District’s new school resource officer, Robert Acquaviva, will respond to student tips — day or night, on duty or off — when he is alerted that a student is in trouble.

This helping hand is courtesy of the district’s Safe2Say program, offering students the chance to make anonymous tips about other students experiencing difficulties.

Since the program’s inception in 2018, the school and the school resource officer received tips involving cyber bullying, potential violence, drug issues, depression, anxiety and potential suicides, said district Superintendent Shannon Wagner.

For the current school year, there were 64 reports. Of those, 25% were drug related; 12.3% involved depression or anxiety; and 9% were related to suicide, Wagner said. There were no student suicides.

“Officer Acquaviva does something we appreciate when we get a tip,” she said. “He gets calls and he responds along with the police department regardless if he is on or off duty.

Acquaviva, a Lower Burrell police officer, has been the school resource officer since September. He followed in the footsteps of longtime Officer John Marhefka, who left before he was appointed chief of Lower Burrell police last year.

“Having a program in place like Safe2Say gives students an opportunity to share information that they may be otherwise unable, or unwilling, to share with administrators and police,” Acquaviva said.

The program is an important tool to ensure the safety and success of the district’s students, he said.

The success of the program relies on students to step forward and have the desire “to do the right thing.”