🍀🍀🍀With thousands marching and having fun along the route, the Hampden County Sheriff's Department is proud to have participated in the 68th annual Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade! It was a wee bit cold, but that didn't stop the fun, or Sheriff Nick Cocchi, who marched along with supervisors and correctional officer representatives from our Tactical Response Team, K9 Unit, and Honor Guard Unit. Check out some photos of the fun below! 🍀🍀🍀

🍀Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!🍀

New York City-based actor Jamil A.C. Mangan, who performed in the play ‘The Mountaintop’ with Lynnette R. Freeman at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, Massachusetts, recently spent some time presenting at the Western Mass. Recovery & Wellness Center in Springfield.

The play, in which Mangan plays the slain civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., centers on a creative account of King’s last night of life.

At the Mill Street facility, Jamil conducted a workshop which aimed to educate the residents on not only the life of Dr. King, but acting techniques as well. But perhaps the most impactful part of the session came as Jamil challenged the residents to identify the roles people play in their addictions using acting techniques.

“The programming we provide at the Western Mass. Recovery & Wellness Center is designed to help the whole individual with their addition issues, but anytime we get a hand from someone on the outside, that perspective is priceless,” Sheriff Nick Cocchi said. “We’d like to thank the Majestic Theater and Jamil A.C. Mangan for taking the time to stop by Mill Street. It is appreciated.”

Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi recently visited with locals at the Ludlow Senior Center, talking about the department and the issues important to them.

“I love getting out into the community and talking to people to explain more about what we do and listening to learn about what’s important in their world,” the sheriff said. “And anytime we can introduce a new group of people to Brooklyn, everyone has some fun.”

More than 50 citizens who turned out were greeted by K-9 Brooklyn, the sheriff’s new bullmastiff puppy. As Brooklyn tends to do, she quickly won over the crowd with her docile demeanor.

Corporal Jennifer Holley, a member of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department's K-9 team, was also in on hand helping the newest four-legged member of the department navigate the crowd.

Sheriff Cocchi discussed issues with the group, ranging from public safety and how the department works day-to-day to the current opioid crises and how that affects families across Western Mass.

He also discussed how the department aims to help offenders leave incarceration with a leg-up on life, to decrease the chances that they will re-offend and make their way back into the justice system.

Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi is pleased to announce the promotion of Kevin Crowley to the role of superintendent, assuming responsibilities for overall day-to-day operations at the department.

Kevin, who will work directly under the sheriff, has ascended through the ranks over the years, earning the trust and respect of his colleagues.

Sheriff Nick Cocchi stated, "I am so proud of the accomplishments of Kevin Crowley. This was an easy appointment for me. Kevin rapidly moved up through the ranks of this department because of his hard work, dedication, talent and professionalism. It is an honor to work with him at my side as we strive to address the many challenging issues in our communities."

Kevin first joined the Hampden County Sheriff's Department in Oct. 1988, when he began as a corrections officer at the old York Street Jail. Since then, he has served in several capacities- a path all leading to his current role.

“I’m honored that the sheriff appointed me to the position, following in the footsteps of superintendents like Jay Ashe, Nick Fiorentino, Tom Rovelli, Ed Bauchiero, and of course, Jim Kelleher,” Crowley said. “I look back at their ideas, the work they’ve accomplished and their legacies, and use that as inspiration to build upon to support Sheriff Cocchi and his vision for the future of the department.”

Kevin, who was raised in the Hungry Hill section of Springfield, was first promoted at the department in 1990, just two years after starting. At that point he became a shift supervisor for the pre-release center. In 1993, he was named security manager for the pre-release center.

Then in Dec. 2000, Kevin became the assistant deputy superintendent of the pre-release center, before assuming the role of assistant superintendent of the program in February 2006. He worked in that capacity under now retired Sheriff Michael Ashe Jr., until Sheriff Cocchi took the helm of the department in January 2017. At that point, Kevin moved to the administration offices and while he maintained the same title of assistant superintendent, his duties expanded significantly.

Now in the role of superintendent, or the second-in-charge of the department, Kevin will be managing a variety of responsibilities to maintain the department’s international reputation for enlightened and effective corrections with an eye toward the future.

In addition to his role at the department, Kevin is a retired chief petty officer with the U.S. Coast Guard. He maintained a roll with both organizations until he retired from the Coast Guard Reserve in 2004.

Kevin and his wife reside in Ludlow, Massachusetts and have three grown sons.