Board Member Spotlight: Cliff Carroll
PROUD TO BE A FELLOW MEMBER OF THE BARNSTABLE BLUECOATS
Back in the spring of 2010, I was
approached to join the Bluecoats
by my old friend Sam Baxter. After a
brief description of the purpose and
mission of the Bluecoats, my answer
was a swift and resounding “YES.”
That decision has led to several proud
moments over the last 10 years.
My lifelong history here in
Barnstable and my relationships
with many local police officers made
my decision to join the organization
an easy one. My mom’s father and
uncle were a career Boston police
officer and detective. My brothers
and I were fortunate to have grown
up in Barnstable Village; we attended
the Barnstable West Barnstable
Elementary School and continued
through the Barnstable School system,
playing sports and later graduating
from Barnstable High School.
Over the years, dozens of my
childhood friends and teammates
became Barnstable patrolmen.
During the last 40+ years, I have
watched many of my friends go from
being part-time summer patrolmen on
Main Street in Hyannis to becoming
full-time officers. Many have been
promoted through the ranks and are
now close to or recently retired from
the force. As a mortgage banker,
real estate broker and developer
here in Barnstable since 1980, I have
watched these police officers grow
from being young, first-time home
buyers in their early 20s, to married
with families in larger homes, to proud
homeowners with paid-off mortgages
and now college-bound children.
My appreciation of the critical
services provided daily by the
Barnstable Police Department has
continued to grow to this day. That
appreciation has been further
enhanced today as I sit on the Board
of Directors as the Chairman of the
Bluecoats Membership Committee
and as a Director on the finance
committee of the Board of the Housing
Assistance Corp.
As I write this letter, it is late
spring, and we are in the middle of
a full-blown worldwide pandemic.
The Town of Barnstable has
closed its offices. The Governor of
Massachusetts has put a “shelter
in place” order requiring all “nonessential” businesses to close their
doors. We have all become painfully
aware of the life-threatening dangers
of this virus, the inconvenience of
having to “shelter at home,” and the
scare that sets in at the slightest
sneeze, cough or scratchy throat.
Now please imagine being a
Barnstable Police officer. Your job has
been classified as “essential.” Your
sworn duty is to put your uniform on,
leave your family, go to work and
face the invisible enemy known as
COVID-19. Now think about those
officers having to come back home
to their families each and every day
not knowing if today was the day that
you and in turn your loved ones have
now been exposed.
The dedication and sacrifice
exhibited by each member of our
Barnstable police force under normal
circumstances and especially during
this extraordinarily difficult time
should bring great pride to every
member of the Barnstable Bluecoats
who has contributed to the well-being
of our brave men and women of the
Barnstable Police Department.
We owe it to them to build our
organization and never forget their
incredible sacrifice during these
extraordinary times.
Best regards,
Cliff Carroll
Board of Directors
Membership Chairman