WE ARE THE BCSO
Staff Profile

On Oct 28, Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica with Category 5 intensity. About 45 people died and thousands lost homes from floods, mudslides and fierce winds.

The Weather Channel called Melissa the strongest hurricane to hit landfall in the island’s history. The devastation has impacted the Jamaican diaspora worldwide. Here at the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office, several staff members have Jamaican roots. Three of them, Deputy Stephelene Walker, Deputy Nicole Neath and Paul Lindo, a nurse in our medical department, organized a relief effort.

They collected enough donations from staff to fill three barrels with food, clothing, shoes, and other essentials — still necessary months after the storm. The port infrastructure was so badly damaged, it’s taken this long to get the donations shipped.

Now that the barrels are ready to go, Paul, Stephelene and Nicole will fly to the Westmoreland, St. James and Trelawny Parishes to hand out care packages. Neath’s aunt lost her roof, and she and her child are still living with relatives. Stephelene, a former police officer in Jamaica, comes from Trelawny Parish, which was particularly hard hit.

The Barnstable County Corrections Officers Union (BCCOU) purchased first class plane tickets for the trio.

Stephelene called the donations “a great blessing.”

National Good Samaritan Day is the perfect time to recognize Deputy Walker, Deputy Neath and Paul Lindo.