My Clearwater
Clearwater Police Honor Doug Carey School Crossing
Guard of the Year
10 MyClearwater
The Clearwater Police Department recognized one
of its crossing guards as the Doug Carey School
Crossing Guard of the Year recently.
This year’s award recipient is Melinda Neal, a crossing guard
since 2014, who works a post near Sandy Lane Elementary.
The award is named in honor of Carey, a retired police
officer who was killed in May 2014 while working as a
crossing guard.
Neal does more than just ensure that students get safely to
and from school. If she notices that students need gloves, a
sweater or coat on cold days, she makes sure they get those.
She is also on the School Advisory Council at Sandy Lane.
“I just love my job,” she said after Deputy Chief Eric Gandy
presented her the award.