Representative Steven George Xiarhos Republican - 5th Barnstable

Steve is the grandson of Greek legal immigrants and a lifelong American Patriot. He is the son and grandson of United States Army, Air Force, and Merchant Marine Veterans. He has a strong desire to serve our Country and assist and support the men and women of our American Armed Forces, First Responders, and Veterans and Military families of all wars and conflicts especially post 9-11. Currently, he 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. He is a graduate of Anna Maria College, Northeastern University, and Cape Cod Community College (where he majored in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement).

Steve was born and raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts. In the summer of 1979, he found work as a seasonal Summer Reserve Police Officer, patrolling the town’s beaches during tourist season. One day, he received a call from the town, saying that he was being hired to be a full-time Patrol Officer. He accepted, beginning a 40-year career with the Yarmouth Police Department. During those four decades of service, Steve was promoted to the ranks of Detective, School Resource Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Lieutenant, Patrol Force Commander, Detective Division Commander, and eventually Deputy Chief of Police. He retired from the police department on December 8, 2019.

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.

Currently, Steve lives in Barnstable with his fiancee, Denise L. Kalbach. Denise was born and raised in Harwich and is Registered Nurse working as an IV Therapy Specialist at Cape Cod Hospital. She has earned a Bachelors Degree from Salve Regina and Masters Degrees from UMASS Dartmouth and UMASS Boston. Soon, she will become a Nurse Practitioner.

Steve is a proud parent of four children. He is a Gold Star Father, in honor of his oldest son, Nicholas. Nick Xiarhos died at age 21 on the battlefield during Operation Enduring Freedom. He was going to the rescue of fellow Marines in combat as part of ‘Operation Strike of the Sword’ in the Garmsir district of Helmand Province Afghanistan on July 23, 2009. Steve’s other son, Alexander, served alongside Steve as a full-time Police Officer in the town of Yarmouth. Steve’s identical twin daughters, Elizabeth and Ashlynne, serve in the hospitality industry.

Aside from his work with the Yarmouth Police Department, Steve has successfully initiated and coordinated many community fundraising and awareness events including the YPD BLUE 5K Run for a Reason, First Responder Appreciation Freedom Ride, and Big Nick’s Ride for the Fallen. He also participated in and completed numerous road races including the Marine Corps and Boston Marathons as well as the Marine Corps Honor Run, the Falmouth Road Race, Boston Firefighters 10K, the Boston Run to Remember, and the Marine Corps Marathon 10K.