Barnstable Police Take Ownership Of Former Sheriff's Boat

BARNSTABLE, MA — The old Barnstable County Sheriff's Office boat has seen a lot in its time. From water rescues to A-list weddings, the boat had become a frequent topic of conversation on the Cape.

Now, that boat will be the property of the Barnstable Police Department.

Barnstable County Sheriff Donna Buckley announced that ownership of the Sheriff’s boat transferred to the Cape Cod Regional Law Enforcement Council (LEC) in March. The LEC then hoped to transfer the boat elsewhere due to staffing and lack of maintenance facilities.

Enter the Barnstable Police Department, which in May received unanimous Town Council approval to take over ownership of the vessel.

Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend said the boat will replace Barnstable's current vessel and will be beneficial for the department's marine unit during a presentation to the council on May 18.

The boat can still be used by other police departments for training, as it has been in the past. In total, 15 departments on the Cape use the boat for a variety of trainings. Boat costs during those trainings will be paid for by the LEC, officials said.

Sonnabend said the department has two options of where to keep the boat. One is at the state pier near the Steamship Authority office and the other is at Bismore Park, both in Hyannis.

The town's current boat — which needs repairs nearing $90,000, Sonnabend said — can now be sold with the return used to help pay for costs of the new boat.

Why Did The Sheriff's Office Get Rid Of The Boat?

For starters, it fulfilled a campaign promise of new Barnstable County Sheriff Donna Buckley.

The boat became a major topic of discussion during campaign season when it was used at an A-list Massachusetts wedding in which then Gov. Charlie Baker presided over the ceremony.

A Cape Cod Times report found that, because the boat was used during working hours, the couple didn't pay for use of the boat.

Buckley was critical of this use at the time, which led to her creating and fulfilling this campaign promise.

"Throughout the campaign, I noted that the patrol operation of the boat was not consistent with the Sheriff’s core mission of corrections, rehabilitation, and treatment," Buckley said.

"This transfer relieves the Sheriff’s Office of the ownership and financial responsibility of the boat. Transferring the boat to the LEC allows the boat to continue to be used as an asset to support public safety in Barnstable County."

To the latter point, even though the LEC won't control the boat anymore, Barnstable police officials verified at the May council meeting that it would still be available for trainings and when needed for assistance.