ACTON — Acton Police Deputy Chief Douglas Sturniolo, a more than 25-year veteran of the department, will serve as Interim Police Chief upon the retirement next month of Chief James Cogan.
Chief Cogan will retire on March 27 after more than 42-years of service in policing.
Deputy Chief Sturniolo began his career with Acton Police in 2000, and served as a Patrol Officer for 12 years before being promoted to Sergeant. As Sergeant, Sturniolo worked as a patrol supervisor for two years, and also served as a field training supervisor and Domestic Violence Services Network liaison.
Deputy Chief Sturniolo was promoted to Lieutenant in 2014, and served as a Patrol Division Commander.
In 2017, Sturniolo was assigned to the Special Services Division as a Detective Lieutenant overseeing Criminal Investigations, Court Prosecution, Property and Evidence Control, Youth and Family Services, the Traffic Unit, Community Relations, Dispatch Communications, and Accreditation.
In 2023, he was promoted to Deputy Chief, a position in which he has overseen daily operations, training, internal affairs, professional standards, and POST compliance. He has also assisted with budget preparation and fiscal oversight.
As a Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission Assessor and Accreditation Manager, Deputy Chief Sturniolo led the Acton Police Department Accreditation Team to obtain MPAC certification in 2019 and full accreditation in 2021.
Deputy Chief Sturniolo has a passion for health and wellness and is certified by the Massachusetts Police Training Council (MPTC) as the department’s Fitness & Agility Test Coordinator. He is also a member of the First Responder Wellness Working Group for the Town of Acton.
Deputy Chief Sturniolo holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Anna Maria College, a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Western New England College, and a certificate in Local Government Leadership Management from Suffolk University. He has also attended numerous leadership trainings including the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy, MPI Executive Development, and the Police Chief Command Leadership Academy at Endicott College. He is a 2025 graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy.
“It will be an honor to serve as Interim Police Chief for the Acton Police Department. I want to thank Town Manager John Mangiaratti for his confidence and support in entrusting me with this role during the transition. I also want to thank Chief James Cogan for his 42 years of dedicated service and leadership. It has been a pleasure to serve alongside him over my 25 years with the department,” said Deputy Sturniolo. “I am very fortunate to serve with an amazing team of officers, dispatchers, and support staff. Thank you for your professionalism, hard work, and daily commitment to the department and for keeping Acton safe. I am fully committed to maintaining our high standards of public safety, community trust, and integrity, while ensuring a smooth transition.”
###
Discover more from John Guilfoil Public Relations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.