Statement of Steve Xiarhos in Opposition to the Release of Violent Criminals from Jails During the COVID-19 Pandemic

May 13, 2020

BARNSTABLE – Steven Xiarhos, Republican candidate for State Representative in the Fifth Barnstable District, issued the following comments today further stating his strong opposition to the widespread release of violent criminals during the COVID-19 outbreak:–

“As a police officer, I spent forty years of my life working hard to put violent criminals where they belong: behind bars. When you wear the uniform of a cop, you assume responsibility to protect the public from violent crime. That’s true every minute of every day, no matter the circumstances.

After having walked that beat for four decades, I can’t possibly understand why some people in our state favor the widespread release of dangerous criminals from prisons during the COVID-19 outbreak.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — I oppose in the strongest possible terms the widespread release of inmates, and especially violent criminals, from our jails.

Here on the Cape, Sheriff Cummings has done an admirable job of instituting responsible policies to protect inmates from the coronavirus. Due to these measures, it was recently reported that there are currently no positive cases within the Barnstable County Jail inmate population. The experience in Barnstable County is proof positive that strong management practices can alleviate any need for widespread inmate release due to public health concerns.

I echo recent statements by Boston Police Commissioner William Gross and many others that violent criminals should not be released from jail right now, notwithstanding any risk of illness. Massachusetts families are already being stressed with profound health and economic concerns related to COVID-19. As we all eagerly await the reopening of our economy, let’s not make the problem even worse by adding a public safety threat to our streets.”

About Steven Xiarhos

Steven Xiarhos is a resident of Barnstable and a Republican candidate for state representative in the Fifth Barnstable District (Sandwich, Barnstable Pcts. 11 & 12, Bourne Pcts. 1, 2 & 7, and Plymouth Pct. 9).

Steve spent forty years serving the people of Cape Cod as a member of the Yarmouth Police Department, retiring in late 2019 from the position of Deputy Chief of Police. Throughout his career, Steve attended numerous specialized training courses and is a graduate of the Babson College Command Training Course and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. He is the recipient of 22 various police department awards and decorations including Officer of the Year, Yarmouth Area Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year, Rotary Club of Yarmouth Vocational Service Award, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Officer of the Year, and the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission Rosenthal Award.

Steve also remains active in many charitable and civic causes. This includes, but is not limited to, the Nicholas G. Xiarhos Memorial Fund (which was created in memory of Steve’s son, Nick, who was a Marine killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2009). Currently, Steve serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Heroes Memorial Fund and the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation; as well as a Volunteer for Wounded Warrior Project Cape Cod Soldier Ride.

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