By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor
Marlborough police officers Jared Snapp, Scott Carey and Rob Insani with their pink handcuffs. (Photo/submitted)
Marlborough – No one likes to be arrested, of course. But those who found themselves on the wrong side of the law in the city of Marlborough last October surely must have done a double take when they looked down at their hands being cuffed. That is because the cuffs were not a standard gray or black color, but rather a bright pink.
Marlborough Police Chief Mark F. Leonard explained how the idea came about to have his officers carry the unusual handcuffs.
“I was trying to think of an idea to support breast cancer awareness during the month [of October] and also support Marlborough Hospital’s new Cancer Pavilion,” he said. “Handcuffs come in all colors so I thought this would be a great idea. “
Leonard contacted three companies – Peerless Handcuff Company, Smith & Wesson, and CTS Thompson – who all “graciously agreed,” he said, to donate 20 to 25 sets each for the cause.
He then asked his officers to consider making a minimum donation of $20 for a set of handcuffs.
The force raised $690 from the sale of the cuffs, he said.
“The Command and Patrol Officers Unions each added an additional $250, bringing the total raised to $1,190,” he added.
Leonard stressed that the cuffs were indeed “real, working cuffs” and were used by the officers in their daily work.
“They definitely got some strange looks!” he laughed.
Ellen Carlucci, the vice president of development at Marlborough Hospital, called the fundraiser a “very special honor.”
“We are committed to bringing cancer care close to home for the communities that we serve and we feel privileged that the Marlborough Police Department designated this money to our ‘beacon of hope,’” she added.
The new 14,000-square-foot, $12.7 million Cancer Pavilion is slated to open later this spring. Officials note that it will provide treatments to area residents, including a state-of-the-art linear accelerator for radiation oncology, a CT Simulator for diagnostic imaging and outpatient medical oncology services.
Marlborough Hospital currently offers outpatient medical oncology, but with the new center, radiation oncology services will be made available in Marlborough for the first time. Patients will also have access to clinical trials through the University of Massachusetts Medical School and UMass Memorial Medical Center.